Diabetic Wound Care

If you are living with diabetes, you likely know the importance of managing your diet and keeping blood sugar levels in check. But caring for your feet is also a central aspect of managing your health and reducing the effects of diabetes.

Why is Diabetic Wound Care Important?

Wounds on the lower extremities are one of the most common and potentially dangerous complications that can arise from diabetes.

Sustained high blood sugar levels are harmful to your blood vessels, and over time can negatively impact your body’s ability to get blood to your feet and lower legs. This can lead to nerve damage and a loss of sensation in your lower limbs. Without the ability to feel pain, cuts, or other wounds on your feet may go unnoticed and get worse as you continue to use your feet.

Diabetes can also damage your immune system, impacting your body’s ability to heal wounds on the feet. Bacteria can enter the wound and cause infections that are difficult for your immune system to fight off.

Small cuts, scrapes, sores, and other wounds that may seem harmless can quickly become serious, impacting your ability to walk and your quality of life.

What Can Happen if Improper Care is Given?

When it comes to diabetic wound care, ignoring a foot ulcer or hoping it will go away on its own is the worst thing you can do. If left untreated for too long, wounds can become infected and may lead to hospitalization. In serious cases, amputation of the foot may be required.

To preserve your quality of life and reduce medical expenses, it’s important to care for wounds as soon as you notice something off.

Since reduced blood circulation and nerve damage often accompany diabetes, you might not feel pain when you have a foot ulcer. It’s important to examine your feet regularly for wounds or developing ulcers. Here are a few signs that something could be wrong:

Cuts or scrapes
Swelling
Discoloration
Redness

When Should You See Us?

The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to ensure wounds on your feet don’t become too serious. Prevention is the best diabetic wound care! Here are a few things you can do you keep your feet healthy and minimize the chance of developing a wound:

Keep your feet clean and dry.

Wear well-fitted shoes.
Check your feet and ankles daily for cuts, swelling, discoloration, and other signs that something may be off.

While prevention of foot ulcers starts at home, it’s important to seek treatment from a podiatrist as soon as you notice a wound. Our team of experts at Texas Foot and Ankle Center will examine your foot to determine the severity of the wound and develop a treatment plan. Specific treatment measures depend on how serious the wound is, but usually include the following:

Removing damaged skin tissue from the area
Cleaning and bandaging the wound
Removing pressure from the area with crutches or special shoes

Most treatment can be done in our office, though in some cases, more in-depth treatment at our nearby diabetic wound care clinic may be required. We’ll work with you to monitor the progression of your diabetic wound to ensure proper healing and help you get back to your normal lifestyle.

When it comes to diabetic wound care, early detection and treatment are imperative! By monitoring your feet for unusual signs and seeking treatment as soon as possible, you’ll ensure that diabetic wounds don’t impact your quality of life.

If you need treatment for a diabetic wound, you can contact our office at (214) 660-0777, or connect with us online.

Location

Doctor's Professional Building 1

1151 N. Buckner Boulevard, Suite 201

Dallas, TX 75218

Phone
(214) 660-0777

Hours

Monday - Friday

8:00AM - 5:00PM

Closed for Lunch
12:00PM - 1:00PM