Diabetic patients with foot ulcers have a 10-15 times higher risk of amputation than the general population. In particular, when superinfected, ulcerative lesions increase the risk of amputation in diabetic patients. However, most of these injuries are preventable if the patient knows how to take care of diabetic complications.
1. Causes of diabetic foot ulcer complications
Causes of foot ulcers in people with diabetes include:
- Peripheral nerve damage: can occur in any person with diabetes, this diabetic complication reduces the ability to feel sensations in the feet such as pain, heat, and cold; The patient cannot feel his foot has been damaged. When the foot is swollen or the infection is severe, it can be difficult to treat. Diabetic foot ulcers are common on the ends of the metatarsals, big toes, heels, or calluses on the feet and between the toes.
- Damage to blood vessels: People with diabetes are often prone to atherosclerosis, narrow or blocked blood vessels that reduce blood flow to the feet. This takes a long time for diabetic foot ulcers to heal.
- Infections: People with diabetes are more susceptible to infections than the general population because high blood sugar allows bacteria to grow. Poor blood flow to the feet makes foot injuries take longer to heal. Even a small wound can cause infection and diabetic foot ulcers. If infection is combined with anemia, the risk of amputation is very high.
Calluses are often the first sign that can lead to diabetic foot ulcers. If the calluses are red and painful, or the skin of your feet is discolored or has a foul-smelling discharge…usually a sign that you may have diabetes.
2. Taking care of diabetic feet
2.1. Use antibiotics
Taking blood sugar lowering medication
Your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics or topical creams containing antibiotics to kill bacteria and help the wound heal faster.
2.2. Check your feet daily
Check yourself from top to bottom. You can ask a loved one to help you with diabetic foot ulcers if you can't see them clearly.
Choose a fixed time of day to make it easy to remember, choose a place with good lighting, use a mirror to easily observe diabetic foot ulcers.
It is necessary to check even between the toes, between the nails for scratches, calluses, blisters ... Check the skin for dryness, redness, heat or tension when touching any area of the foot.
Check the growth of the toenail is abnormal, the nail is inverted.
2.3. Clean feet
Use mild soap and warm water (about 37 degrees Celsius is best) to wash your feet every day, pay attention to dry thoroughly, gently, do not rub vigorously.
Wash and disinfect the wound with physiological saline or povidone iodide at least 2 times a day, paying attention to dry, gently, without rubbing.
Limit washing the wound with hydrogen peroxide unless prescribed by a doctor.
After cleaning the wound, use a sterile cotton gauze containing calcium alginate or silver sulphadiazine to cover the wound, but do not bandage it too tightly.
If the skin is too dry, you can use moisturizing creams, especially the heels, do not apply between the feet.
If diabetic foot ulcers are detected with signs of bleeding, infection, pus or necrotic black spots, the patient needs to be re-examined to be prescribed more appropriate drugs.
Absolutely do not arbitrarily cut, filter out necrotic black spots unless instructed by a doctor before.
2.4. Protect your feet with shoes and socks
Always wear shoes to avoid stepping on broken bottles and sharp objects that the patient cannot see. Do not wear flip flops as this can cause ulcers between the thumb and second toe.
Always wear socks to keep warm and protect your feet, socks should be soft and woven with natural fibers, with no seams. Change into clean and dry socks every day.
Avoid wearing shoes that are too tight because they can cause blisters on the skin; Always wear socks when you need to wear shoes to avoid blistering your feet.
2.5. Keeping blood vessels circulating more easily
Raise your legs with a chair while sitting.
Do not sit cross-legged for too long.
Do not wear tight socks or knots around your ankles.
Move your toes for 5 minutes 2-3 times a day. Exercise your feet daily to increase blood circulation in your feet such as walking, cycling, etc.
2.6. Prevent foot burns
Check the water temperature before bathing, wash using a thermometer or the back of your hand or elbow. The water temperature is neither too hot nor too cold. Around 40 degrees Celsius is best.
Do not warm your feet by methods such as heating with a brazier, heating with heated bricks, steaming your feet with hot water, soaking your feet in hot water, burning wormwood leaves, turning off electric blankets, etc., because they can easily burn sores. diabetic feet.
Apply sunscreen to bare skin when out in the sun.
2.7. Go to the medical facility when experiencing diabetes complications
When you have diabetes complications such as skin lesions, or calluses on your feet, you should not self-treat at home, but must go to a medical facility for timely treatment and care instructions to avoid more severe complications.