How to Treat Wound Ulcers and Foot Sores in Diabetic Patients - Hansaplast India

1. DiabetesandWoundCare —Howto TreatWoundUlcersand FootSoresinDiabeticPatients • Howwoundhealingworksin diabetics • Our skinactsasabarrierbetweenoutside germsandbacteria.Whenanabrasionformsontheskin, thebarrier is brokenandthewoundisleftexposed. If harmfulbacteriaentersthewoundatthisstage,ithasthepotentialto causeaninfectionandfurther complications.In healthybodies,whitebloodcellsrushtothewoundsitetodestroy bacteriaandprotectthebodyfrominfection.Onlyafter thisstage doesthetissue regrowthstage beginandthe woundgets patchedup. • Indiabetics,thebodyisunabletoproduce oruse ahormonecalledinsulin.Becauseofthis,theblood sugar level increaseswhichhasadverse effectsonwound healing.Whenblood sugar levelsrise,theyimpairthefunctioningof whitebloodcells(WBCs).WBCsare imperativefor thefunctioningoftheimmunesystem,andwithoutthemthe body isunabletofightoffinfectionefficiently. • Ifdiabetesisnotkeptunder control,itaffectsbloodcirculationas well.Slowerbloodcirculationhampersthe healingprocessofthewoundas thenutrientsupply tothewoundsiteslowsdown. Oxygenationofthewound site is alsovitalinthe healing process,andslowerbloodcirculationmeanssloweroxygenation. Anotherriskfactoris that diabetes can cause neuropathy (nerve damage) which is the numbing of sensation in parts of the body. Due to this, thediabetic patientmightnotrealizethattheyhave sustainedaninjuryas they will notfeel it. • Commondiabeticwounds: • Woundsonthe feet pose thebiggest riskwhenitcomestodiabetic wounds.Thisisbecauseneuropathy affects thefeet firstand it’shighlypossible thatthepatientdoesnotnotice awound formingduetothelossof feeling. • Foot Ulcers • 1. Footulcersareopenwoundsorsoresthatform onthe feet. Theyarethemostcommonand most high- riskwoundsfordiabetics. Inseverecases,thediabetic woundinfectiontakesover theentirefoot, andamputation mayberequired.Since diabeticssufferfromneuropathy,painis notthefirstsymptomthatcropsupwhen theyget afootulcer.Becauseofthis,theymaynot noticeituntilthewoundhasdeterioratedandbecomeinfected.Here aresomeofthesignsthatyouwillnotice ifyourfootulcerhas becomeinfected: • Excessivepusandfluiddischargefromthewound • Footwound not healingasfastas usual • Swellingand rednessaroundthewound • A strangeodourcomingfromyourfoot • In seriouswounds,dead blacktissuecalled escharwillstart to surround thewound

2. Ifyouhappen todisplayanyofthese signs,consultadoctor immediately.Yourdoctorwillassesstheseverityof thewoundandrecommendatreatmentplanaccordingly.Usually,treating adiabetic woundulcerincludesthe followingsteps: Off-loading: If weight or pressure is applied to the ulcer it will make it worse and expand the wound. This is why your doctor will advise you to stay off your feet as much as possible. You can wear foot braces, casts, compression wraps orspecialshoestoprotectyour ulcer. Debridement: Debridement is the process of removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue from the wound. This helps tocurbtheinfectionbystoppingitfrom spreadingtohealthytissue. Medication: Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or other medication to fight off infection and heal the wound quicker. Makesuretofollowyour prescriptiondiligentlytopreventthesituationfrom getting worse. Inthecase ofsevere infections,if thereis nootheroptionavailable,amputation maybe required.Theextentof amputationdependsontheseverityofthe woundandtheprogressionoftheinfection.Remember,diabeticfoot wounds are easilytreatable intheearlystages. Stayingvigilantandontopof yourhealthcanhelpavert adversities. •FootCorns 1.Footcornsarehardened layersofskinthatformduetoprolonged frictionor pressure.Anybodycanget afoot corn, but it isparticularlyriskyfordiabetic patients.Thisis becausetheusualtreatmentsforfootcornscannotbe usedbyadiabetic patient.Usually,foot cornsare treatedby eitherremovingthemwithapumicestoneorafoot file,thisisharmful forthefollowingreasons: •Pumicestones:Pumicestoneshaveanabrasivesurface usedtofile offdeadskin.Since theyare notsterile,it couldbeanentryway for infection toenteryourbody.Furthermore,diabetic patientswhosufferfromneuropathy mightscrapeoffexcessskinwithoutrealizing it, whichcouldleadtoafootulcer. •Footfiles:Foot files areanotherharshdeviceusedtoscrapeawaycornsandcallouses.Theyareriskyforthe same reasons as a pumice stone, but the added risk factor is that foot files are usually made of some kind of metal. If a rusted part of a foot file scrapes against your skin, it provides a direct entryway for bacteria to inhibit the cut andspreadinfection. Keeping all ofthese factorsinmindcanhelpyoutocorrectlytreatyour diabetic woundsandulcersandstayfree from infection. ReadMoreHere:HowToTreat a Foot CornEffectively