In a lot of medical articles and resources, you will learn that more than half of the people who have diabetes experience nerve damage due to high glucose levels in their blood. This is what’s called diabetic neuropathy. The most common part of the body that is affected by this neuropathy is the patient’s foot. And since they have lost the sense of feeling in their feet, they are most likely to become unaware that their feet have open wounds, sores, blisters, and other skin damage, hence the term diabetic foot ulcer.
Now that’s very dangerous for them, especially when left unattended, because that will invite all sorts of bacteria, germs, and viruses to enter the ulcer and infect it. Being in a sensitive condition already, they can’t afford the risks that come along with infections. If not treated properly right away, it can escalate into gangrene, and what’s worse would be amputation of the foot.
How Doctors Decide When To Amputate
There are different medical institutes and authorities that have a grading system that most doctors and healthcare professionals follow with regards to when they are going to amputate a foot suffering from diabetic foot ulcers.
One example is the Wagner Ulcer Classification System:
- 0: no open lesions
- 1: superficial ulcer without penetration to deeper layers
- 2: deeper ulcer, reaching tendon, bone, or joint capsule
- 3: deeper tissues involved, with abscess, osteomyelitis, or tendonitis
- 4: gangrene in a portion of forefoot or heel
- 5: extensive gangrenous involvement of the entire foot
How To Treat Ulcers
The first thing that you need to do if you find any signs of a diabetic foot ulcer is to document it and go straight to your doctors and healthcare professionals. This way, they will be able to properly assess the ulcer and provide you with the appropriate treatment. Some familiar types of treatment they will prescribe would be antibiotics, antiplatelets, or anti-clotting medications. They can also prescribe anti-pressure methods that you can do and add into your daily routine.
But always remember, you should not treat the ulcer on your own, no matter how minor the wound may seem.
How to Prevent Ulcers
There are many other things that you can do to prevent diabetic ulcers. These include checking your feet regularly for blisters and sores, bathing them properly, wearing proper diabetic socks,checking blood sugar regularly, etc.
Conclusion
It can be quite daunting facing such challenges but rest assured with the help of your doctors and health professionals, along with precautionary measures that you can set, being patient with your maintenance and recovery, as well sticking to a routine, and staying disciplined will definitely help you regain control and even improve the quality of your standards of living.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
