Wounds, despite how small it is, might be a concern to a person with diabetes. In people with no health issues, small wounds might only take minutes to hours to heal. Yet, in diabetic ones, this might be a lot more complicated. Therefore, a proper, initial treatment is needed, before this wound gets worse and thus, causes further complicated health matters.

Why foot wounds harmful for persons with diabetes?

Diabetes causes improper use of glucose inside the patient’s blood stream. A high level of blood sugar will eventually clog the arteries and thus cause clogged blood circulation. Lowered blood circulation causes red blood cells amount to decrease significantly. When the red blood cells amount is limited, the level of white blood cells which is necessary for wound healing is also decreasing. This will cut down the ability of white blood cells in promoting the right immune system to deal with an interfering infection. Narrowed arteries also limit the amount of blood pumped to the wounded area, while in fact, this blood is needed by the body to produce coagulant to let the blood on the wounded area to clot. Hence, a diabetic person might experience a very slow wound healing process compared to people with no health problems. Therefore, a small foot wound—or foot ulcer which is undergone by a person with diabetes can grow into a more serious health matter if not treated properly.

Foot problems in diabetic person

Foot problems are common with people suffering from diabetes. Some foot problems which may occur as the consequences of a high level of blood sugar are ulcers, bunions, calluses, hammertoes, fungal infection, skin dryness, and ingrown toenail. Severely dry foot skin is also common, since this is a result of the absence of blood circulation in certain blood vessels, which causes skin cells to die because of lack of passed oxygen. Some people also experience problems with the feet nerves. Some experience something resembling a worm moves in their certain foot nerves, while some others experience their foot nerves are pulled and stretched.

Treating diabetic foot wounds

Despite the size and severity of the wounds, it should be taken into account by persons with diabetes, as this wound might heal very slowly and develop severe infection. The most common phenomenon in a diabetic foot wound is that it starts with a small opened wound which grows into a bigger, unhealed opened wound. Some of these wounds even show some symptoms of infection. It is very important to care for this wound cautiously, since some areas on a diabetic person’s body might be numb and thus, are not responsive to a worsened wound. Treating an opened, diabetic foot wounds which is caused by ulcer, fungal infection, or calluses is not very simple, yet it can still be done at home with proper cares. Some of the treatments include:

1. Treat the wound immediately. Do not ignore any small wounds when you are living with diabetes. This small wound can be easily infected by bacteria, which will make it worse and may promote infection.
2. Keep the wound clean. It is important to clean the wound from any left debris. You can rinse the wound under running water and apply a mild soap to kill possible bacteria. Do not use iodine since it may tear the tissues. Instead, apply an antibiotic ointment to the wound and cover it with gauze. Change the gauze every bath time.
3. Taking antibiotics. If the wound is getting worse, take the prescribed medications to inhibit further infection. This will also assist your body in fighting the interfering factors from the inside.
4. Control the diets. High level of blood sugar may slow the healing process down. Hence, take only healthy diets which can help you lowering the blood sugar. Antioxidant-enriched fruits and vegetables are mostly suggested to deal with foot wounds. When your blood sugar lowers, your blood circulation will be more proper. Thus, there are larger amount of blood and blood cells pumped into the wounded areas. Sufficient oxygen amount also let white blood cells to multiply to combat the infection. This will promote a proper healing process for the foot wounds.