So you’ve got a diabetic foot ulcer that won’t go away. Maybe it’s healed, but it keeps reappearing. I’m sure you’re unhappy and worried that it won’t get better. You may have been dressing your wound with the same treatment for months, if not years!
Diabetic feet are particularly susceptible to pressure. As pressure builds up, the foot’s ability to manage the stresses and heal from inside diminishes. There is no pain to act as a warning indicator because of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness in the feet.
Having a connection with a podiatrist is generally recommended for people with diabetes. Many people know someone who has had a section of their foot or possibly their full leg amputated due to diabetes. As a Houston foot specialist who specializes in diabetic foot issues, I’ve made it my personal mission to assist diabetics walk on both feet.
A diabetic foot ulcer is a break or hole in the skin that requires immediate medical attention. It can develop beneath the foot or over bony prominences, such as a bunion or hammertoe. If the hole gets much deeper, it might reach the bone. The infection can go all the way to the bone if the ulcer becomes infected. This can result in weeks or months of treatment, as well as hospitalization, surgery, and perhaps amputation.
Poor circulation, decreased feeling or numbness, and a reduced healing ability are all complications of diabetes. If undiagnosed and ignored, these three conditions can have disastrous consequences. Insufficient blood supply to the foot, referred to as peripheral artery disease (PAD), deprives the tissues of necessary oxygen. Peripheral neuropathy, or numbing of the nerves in the feet, diminishes the protective sense and lessens the probability that a person with diabetes may experience pain as a result of an injury. Reduced healing capability can exacerbate a minor injury by allowing it to get infected and putting the limb at danger.
Burning and stinging sensation in the feet are common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is not always caused by diabetes and does not affect everyone with diabetes. Some of my patients in Houston have been told by doctors that their numbness from peripheral neuropathy is a sign that they will get diabetes. This is not true.
