A PODIATRIST'S TIPS FOR DIABETIC WOUND TREATMENT
Diabetes is a scary term for many people. What’s even scarier, is it has been reported that 550 million people will be diagnosed with diabetes around the world by the year 2030. With diabetes comes a higher possibility for serious health issues and one of those is foot ulcers.
Anyone with diabetes must understand the importance of taking care of their feet for optimal environmental protection. When a diabetic wound occurs, there are six key steps to take. We’ve outlined the best tips for diabetic wound treatment below.
Diabetic Wound Diagnosis
The most important step when you’ve noticed a wound is the assessment. The assessment will be done by your diabetic foot doctor to determine which style of wound you have – neuropathic, ischemic, and neuroischemic. Each style of the wound has its own set of effective wound treatment that needs to be followed. Without the correct treatment plan, you’re putting your body at risk for long-term complications and amputation.
Wound Debridement
Aka: removing necrotic tissue in a wound. Wound debridement reduces pressure which stimulates wound healing, tissue inspection, drainage, and wound dressing effectiveness.
Diabetic Wound Treatment Plan
When a diabetic wound has been spotted, infection is a top concern. Creating a diabetic wound treatment plan based on the infection spotted is imperative to the success of removal. With most diabetic wounds, both oral and topical antibiotics are recommended. Talk with your diabetic foot doctor for more information on what treatment plan will be best for removing your foot ulcer.
Dressing
With any wound comes dressing the wound. It’s important you have the correct dressing for wound healing. Dressing helps keep your wound not too wet and not too dry. This ensures the correct moisture balance.
Pressure Reduction
When a foot or leg ulcer becomes apparent, it’s important that a pressure reduction plan has been implemented to prevent further complications. A recommended step is to use a non-removable total contact cast. A total contact cast takes the pressure and evenly distributes it throughout the leg which reduces healing times. TCC may not be the correct path depending on the infection style determined. Listen to your diabetic foot doctor for what they recommend and follow the treatment plan to a T.
Diabetes is a disease that can cause serious problems with your feet in terms of circulation, balance, numbness, wounds and the ability to heal properly. Wound care involves the proper cleaning, dressing and treatment of the affected area until the wound is completely healed, and even more importantly, it is crucial for diabetics to have their feet examined several times a year by a podiatrist that specializes in diabetic wound care to check for and treat any ulcerations or infections as early as possible.
Dr. Han, a podiatrist in Rockland County NY, has extensive experience in treating many types of wounds, including wounds and foot ulcers that are a result of diabetes. Dr. Han is also well known as a foot specialist at Good Samaritan Hospital for his work as a limb saving specialist.
At River Podiatry we provide individualized, comprehensive, evaluation and treatment of patients with podiatric issues. The practice specializes in foot surgery and the treatment of foot pain. Expect the best possible care utilizing the most modern techniques. Contact River Podiatry to make an appointment today.
