When you have poor blood circulation and nerve damage in your feet due to diabetes, it's important to practice good diabetes foot care so you can prevent a foot ulcer. A foot ulcer is a common problem for diabetics that can have serious consequences if not treated properly by a doctor.

The best thing is to prevent an ulcer from forming by wearing proper shoes and socks that don't irritate your feet. You should also check your feet daily for cuts and other small injuries that could lead to an ulcer. If an ulcer forms, see your podiatrist right away. Here are some foot ulcer treatments they might recommend.

Avoid Walking On The Ulcer

Your doctor may want you to keep your weight off the foot that has the ulcer. You probably shouldn't become sedentary and stay in bed, as that can cause health complications too. Your doctor might recommend crutches, a wheelchair, a knee walker, or a walking boot that keeps weight off of the ulcer. These mobility aids allow you to stay active to your usual degree while keeping pressure off of the ulcer so it can heal.

Remove Dead Tissue

Your podiatrist might remove dead tissue and skin debris down to healthy skin so the healthy skin can begin repairing the wound. This is called debridement, and it can be done with a scalpel, enzymes, or even sterile maggots depending on your situation. Removing the tissue with a scalpel is a common method. This procedure may need to be repeated occasionally during the healing process.

Apply Bandages

Your podiatrist may want you to keep the foot ulcer bandaged to prevent further infections. You may need to change the bandages at home once the podiatrist teaches you how, or a home health nurse may come to your home to do wound care if it's indicated. A variety of bandages can be used for diabetic foot care. Moist dressings are often used along with topical medications. Your podiatrist tells you how often the dressing must be changed and how to protect it so the bandage stays in place.

Control Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes causes complications with your feet due to high blood sugar that circulates through your body. Maintaining control of your blood sugar is essential for diabetic foot health. You may need to work with your diabetes doctor to get your sugar under control through medication, diet, and lifestyle changes so you can prevent foot ulcers and heal from them more easily once they develop.

For more information, contact a company like Advanced Podiatry and Wound Care.