A wound or an open sore that appears at the bottom of your foot is called a diabetic foot ulcer. Nearly 15% of diabetic patients develop this kind of ulcer. Out of this, 6% of the patients are hospitalized due to either infection or any other related complication. When the ulcers are left untreated then it can lead to surgery, hospitalization, and even amputation.
Ulcers in diabetic patients might be caused due to following reasons:
- Poor blood circulation
- Numbness in the foot
- Irritation such as pressure or friction
- Foot deformities
Dr. Sima Soltani Podiatry Office is the best Orange County wound care and diabetic care center. They specialize in operation-less treatments. They have been treating patients with ankle and foot problems for more than 20 years. They provide awesome podiatry services at Irvine.
Treatment for foot ulcers can be done in five different ways according to Podiatrists.
They are as follows:
· Use antibiotics
The Podiatrist will first apply an antibiotic ointment to the ulcer if it is infected to combat the problem. The podiatrist prescribes antibiotics that are stronger if the infection is penetrated to the skin layers or even the bone. These antibiotics can be taken orally.
· Dress and wrap
Once the infection is treated properly, it is dressed up and wrapped up by the podiatrist to protect it. The podiatrist will apply a dressing before the wound is wrapped which helps the wound in healing faster. Depending on the patient’s condition, the dressing type is chosen by the wound care Orange County expert.
A few examples of dressing that are used by a podiatrist are:
- Collagen wound dressings
- Hydrogels
- Hydrocolloids
- Antimicrobial dressing
- Alginate dressing
- Moist dressing
- Composite dressing
- Debriding dressing
- Synthetic skin substitute
Once the wound is dressed, the podiatrist will wrap it.
Leg ulcers or venous ulcers, which occur by the unusual functioning of valves of venous, are treated and protected by compression wraps. For proper foot ulcer treatment, multi-layer compression wraps or an ACE bandage are used by the podiatrists. Compression wrapping helps to reduce edema and swelling of venous ulcers.
Arterial ulcers occur on the ankle, foot, or lower part of one’s leg. This issue occurred due to an insufficient supply of blood to the wound. Unna’s boot is often used by podiatrists to treat this type of ulcer.
· Dressing changes and regular checkups
It is necessary to prevent any additional leg or foot ulcers from developing. The podiatrist will change the ulcer bandages regularly.
· Pain medication
Changing the dressing might be painful. So, Podiatrists prescribe medications to reduce pain to prevent any major discomfort.
· Surgery
Podiatrists prefer that the leg and foot ulcers are healed naturally but sometimes surgery might be necessary due to the condition of the patient.
Wound care is very important in the case of diabetic patients. Diabetic foot ulcers have to be treated by the right podiatrist at the right time as each patient’s condition is unique and requires a wide variety of approaches. If you are facing any issue, then consult an expert immediately.
