Diabetic foot care -- everything you need to know

Expert tips on how to lower your risk of diabetic foot and how to treat it.

Uncontrolled diabetes is one of the reasons that puts you at a risk of diabetic foot or ulcers. However, there are various factors like peripheral sensory neuropathy, minor injuries of the foot, unhygienic wound care or poor foot protection. And hence, prevention of foot ulcers is of paramount importance, especially in diabetics with neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, or structural foot abnormalities. Here are few tips by Dr Udaya Kumar Maiya, Medical Director, Portea Medical on diabetic foot care.

Keep your blood glucose in control: Keeping your blood glucose under control is the most important step. So in addition to keeping a tab on your diet and exercise routine, make sure to take medications as prescribed to lower your risk of diabetic complications. Here are 10 healthy resolutions every diabetic should follow for a better life.

Choose your footwear wisely: It is a well-known fact that sharp or ill-fitting shoes that offer poor foot protection, or using no footwear, increase your risk of foot injury. And once injured, it might take a long time for the injury to heal. In such cases, invest in shoes that perfectly fit you (neither too tight or loose). Moreover, you can use soft insoles to prevent foot injury due to shoes. Read more about foot care tips diabetics must follow.

Never self-medicate: Unlike an injury or a bruise in non-diabetic individuals, management of diabetic foot problems usually requires experts intervention and care. As far as diabetics are concerned, they need to follow preventive and medication advice and avoid self-medication or trying natural remedies to treat the condition.

Here is a step-by-step about the optimal treatment of diabetic foot ulcers:

Step 1: Cleaning the wound

It includes removing dust, dirt, foreign bodies and infected or dead tissues, including pus, followed by wound dressing, to promote quick healing of the wound. The process is known as debridement and also aids in healing the surrounding tissue. The process should be repeated once in two to three days till healing is adequate. The wound dressing is necessary as it absorbs wound secretion and protects the wound from infection. You can use simple gauze dressing.

Step 2: Offloading the pressure on the wound

To promote faster healing, reducing pressure on the wound is essential. You can do this by walking with crutches, using a wheelchair or using specially designed footwear. It helps in decreasing the weight borne by the affected foot. However, in some cases, you might require casts to be applied over the limb for effective results. Here are 7 tips for diabetics to reduce swelling in the feet.

Step 3: Take your medication on time

Usually, broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended to treat foot injury and lower the bacterial load. People with severe wounds require hospitalisation and use of intravenous antibiotics to treat the condition. Also, use of anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling and pain along with antidiabetic medications are recommended to control diabetes and hasten wound healing.

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