Symptoms and Treatments for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

If you have diabetes, you may have diabetic neuropathy and may be unable to feel sensations in your feet. Diabetes also causes poor circulation and impairs proper wound healing. When would healing is impaired because of poor blood flow, you may be at risk for developing diabetic foot ulcers. Prompt recognition and treatment from your ankle doctor can help slow the progression of diabetic ulcers and reduce your risk for infection. Here are the symptoms and treatment options for diabetic foot ulcers.

Symptoms 

Foot ulcers caused by diabetes typically develop on the bottoms of the feet. This is because the soles of your feet are under constant pressure; because of this, the epidermis can breakdown and form an open sore referred to as an ulcer.

Diabetic foot ulcers can also develop under a callus. You may not be able to feel the ulcer because of your neuropathy and then consequently, it may quickly progress. Symptoms of a diabetic foot ulcer include inflammation and discoloration around the ulcer, increased warmth over the affected area, discharge oozing from the wound, and thickened skin that surrounds the wound. If left untreated, you may develop body-wide symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches, and loss of appetite. 

Treatments

Your diabetic foot specialist may suggest ulcer debridement, where the dead skin is removed. Your ankle doctor will also recommend that you keep your diabetic ulcer covered with a dressing so that it does not get wet. He or she will also prescribe wound cleansing treatments and topical antibiotic ointments. Staying off the affected foot will also help promote healing, as will wearing padded socks and non-constricting shoes.

If you have developed an infection that is causing fever and chills, you will need to take oral antibiotics in addition to the topical antibiotic treatment. Working with your diabetes doctor to ensure that your blood glucose levels remain stable will also help promote wound healing. If you follow your doctor's orders, you may start seeing an improvement in about a week. 

If you have diabetes, especially if accompanied by neuropathy, check the soles of your feet and ankles regularly to look for signs of skin breakdown. If you discover any abnormalities, make a foot doctor appointment as soon as possible. When diabetic foot ulcers are recognized and treated during their early stages, you are less likely to develop complications such as local and systemic infections, tissue loss, and even gangrene.