Important Facets Of Foot Wound Care: A Guide For Diabetics
A sharp rock, a nail, a piece of glass—your feet can come in contact with so many objects that can be dangerous. With your feet carrying around all the weight your body supplies, it is all-too-easy to sustain an injury just by walking around. While foot injuries should always be well cared for, as a diabetic, taking care of a wound on your feet can be even more important for your overall health. Take a look at just a few of the important facets of foot wound care you should know as a diabetic.
1. Get a podiatrist to take a look.
Visiting a podiatrist for advice about your wound should always be at the top of the list when it comes to foot injuries as a diabetic. Even a wound that looks small can need careful monitoring through the healing process when you have diabetes. The podiatrist will give you adequate guidelines to follow when it comes to foot wound care to ensure you have the best chance of healing without problems.
2. Keep the wound as clean as humanly possible.
The wound must be kept clean and sterile in order to heal without accumulating dangerous bacteria. Follow the podiatrist's guidelines about cleaning and bandaging the wound. If you have other physical limitations that prevent you from doing this on your own, the doctor may recommend a home health nurse to come in and help you
3. Make sure dead skin and tissue are promptly removed and assessed throughout healing.
Debridement is a medical term for trimming away dead skin and tissue that can accumulate around a healing wound. Diabetics can heal slower, which means there can be more dead skin tissue around the opening of a wound that should be removed throughout the healing process. You may need to visit the podiatrist a few times to have dead tissue trimmed away from a large foot wound, or they may instruct you to do so yourself with a pair of sterile scissors.
4. Keep your blood sugar levels in check.
When your blood sugar levels are not stable, it means blood flow and oxygen to your foot can vary, and this does not promote proper healing. When you have a foot injury, it is more important than ever to make sure you are checking your glucose levels, taking your medications, and sticking to a good low-glycemic nutrition plan. Doing so will encourage faster healing and lower your risks of infection.
