Diabetic Foot Ulcers & Venous Stasis Ulcers
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with diabetes, foot care should be top priority on your daily to-do list. Whenever you don’t pay attention to your feet—especially when diabetes is a part of your life—the chances of developing serious conditions, such as ulcers and infections that can lead to an amputation, can drastically increase.
Complications resulting from diabetic ulcers are the cause for over 60% of all non-traumatic lower-limb amputations. Those are scary statistics!
In many cases, this is due to the fact that diabetes can cause nerve damage taking away feeling in your feet, leaving them numb. Diabetes can also reduce blood flow to your feet, making it harder to resist infections and heal any possible injuries. Because of this, diabetes can be extremely dangerous.
That being said, understanding diabetes and how to best live with it is vital for your health. So, let’s learn a little more about diabetic-related ulcers—the risk factors and how you can prevent them.
Diabetes and Ulcers
Although diabetes can create havoc throughout your body in a variety of ways, one main concern when it comes to this condition is the development of foot ulcers.
As we have already mentioned, diabetes can damage and narrow your blood vessels. This results in a decrease in blood flow throughout your body—especially your feet. In turn, those lower extremities are deprived of much-needed nutrients.
Together with poor blood circulation, high blood sugar can cause nerve damage. Now, you are not only unable to fight off infections and properly heal painful sores, but your nerves are also failing to inform you of any existing threats which may inflict these sores upon your numb feet.
As time passes and your feet are still unable to properly heal, wounds, sores and even calluses can grow in size and severity, becoming ulcers. At this stage the risk of infection increases dramatically, as does the possibility of having to perform an amputation.
Prevention, therefore, is the best thing you can do. Here are some tasks you should perform every day:
- Check your feet. Look for any scrapes, cuts, or open wounds.
- Never walk barefoot. Not even when you are home.
- Moisturize your feet. But avoid the areas between your toes.
- Check your shoes before placing them on your feet. Look for any harmful objects inside your shoes.
Venous Stasis Ulcers
Venous stasis ulcers are another common type of chronic wound that is often, although not always, associated with diabetes.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and developed any sores or wounds, of course, it is best to seek medical treatment right away. However, below are some indicators which may point to the possibility of you having developed a venous stasis ulcer:
- Usually this type of ulcer takes place below the knee and above or around the ankles.
- It is common for this type of ulcer to be irregular in shape with the surrounding skin being discolored or swollen.
- Venous stasis ulcers are normally red in color and, at times, may be covered with yellow fibrous tissue. If infected, the ulcer may have yellow or green discharge.
People who have a history of varicose veins, leg swelling and/or blood clots are prone to developing venous stasis ulcers.
We Can Help you!
At Waco Foot & Ankle, we offer advanced treatments to help you heal as quickly as possible. We are dedicated to providing top-notch care and offer state-of-the art procedures, using amniotic stem cells to heal your wounds both naturally and effectively.
Thanks to these recent medical advancements, we have been able to help many people heal their chronic ulcers. Some of these patients even had amputation recommended by other doctors before they sought us for a second opinion—fortunately, we were able to save them from the permanent loss of a limb!
Remember, the best way to steer away from this painful aspect of diabetes is to prevent, prevent, prevent. However, we understand that even when we use every precautionary method available, ulcers can still arise.
If that is ever the case for you, our diabetic foot care experts at Waco Foot & Ankle are happy to get your feet back in shape. Give us a call at (254) 776-6995 to schedule a consultation and hear more about our advanced treatment options. You can also connect with us by simply completing our request form online.