How to Treat Diabetic Foot Wounds To Prevent Amputation

Diabetic foot wound is one of the leading causes of amputation in people with diabetes. This is because high blood sugar levels damage some nerves in the legs and arms, making them less sensitive to pain. This condition is called peripheral neuropathy.

When this happens, it becomes difficult to notice any blisters or cuts on their feet. These wounds are known as diabetic foot ulcers.

A diabetic foot ulcer can easily progress into gangrene and may require amputation to prevent the infection from reaching other parts of the foot or body.

That’s why you have to treat diabetic foot wounds the right way. I wrote a post about how to prevent diabetic foot ulcers. Feel free to look at it for further information.

In this post, I’ll explain what you can do to treat diabetic foot wounds to prevent them from becoming an ulcer and finally leading to amputation.

How to treat diabetic foot wounds

To heal diabetic wounds faster, you need to take pressure off the foot. It’s simple. Don’t walk with the affected foot for the time being. Instead, you can move about with the help of crutches or a wheelchair to free your foot from the stress of walking.

Also, avoid wearing shoes and socks that are too tight for your foot.

After these precautions, here are further steps you can take at home or with a doctor’s assistance to treat the wound.

#1. Visit your doctor immediately you notice the wound

This step is very urgent. Because your doctor would inspect the wound and remove dead cells and other impurities that might be present on the wound. This process is called debridement. This first step helps to remove whatever may hinder the wound from healing in time or causing infections.

#2. Clean the wound daily

It may go without saying, but after debridement, it’s really necessary to clean the wound every day. In as much as the cleaning frequency is important, you also have to consider what you clean the wound with.

Unless your doctor recommends any special cleanser, using soap and water would be more than enough to clean the wound.

Avoid soaking the feet in hot water or hydrogen peroxide solution, or applying any traditional solution to it. You only make the wound worse or infected by doing so.

#3. Apply topical antibiotics based on your doctor’s recommendation

Topical antibiotics are kinds of ointments that are applied to diabetic wounds to facilitate the healing process. Examples of these antibiotics are Neomycin, Gentamycin, Mupirocin, etc.

You can easily get them when you ask your doctor. After applying the antibiotic, you have to…

#4. Cover the wound with bandage to prevent infections from the air

Gone were the days when people thought that exposing wounds to the air would help to heal. Now doctors know better.

When you leave your wound exposed to air, you make it vulnerable to bacterial infections. That is why it is recommended that after putting the ointment on the wound, you bandage it.

That way, you have reduced the chances of the wound getting affected, and you are guaranteed that the wound would heal faster.

#5. Keep track and control your sugar levels

Remember that it’s the high sugar level that caused the nerve damage in the first place. Therefore, make it a priority to keep your sugar levels in check.

One way to do so is to keep a logbook for your daily blood sugar readings and bring it along when you visit your doctor. If you don’t have a logbook already, here’s a free blood sugar logbook that you can download and use.

That way, you’d help your doctor to help you control your sugar level. And at the end, your wound would heal faster.

Another thing to do is to avoid foods that would spike up your sugar levels.

Like I keep saying, I’m not a doctor. So don’t take my advice as the gospel truth. It’ll be beneficial to ask your doctor for diet recommendations or medications that would help reduce your sugar levels.

#6. Do whatever you can to improve blood circulation in your feet

Proper blood circulation in the feet is one factor that aids in treating diabetic foot wounds. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease showed how to improve circulation in your feet.

According to them, whenever you’re sitting or relaxing, it is best to keep your foot up. Also if you can, wiggle your feet a few times in the day. Or you can move your leg up and down to promote blood circulation.

Whichever method is comfortable with you, just do it daily and you’ll see significant improvement in your wound.

Final Thoughts on treating diabetic foot wounds

The most effective way to treat diabetic foot wounds is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Hence, inspect your feet daily to detect any cuts as soon as possible.

And when you see a cut or blister, start taking the above tips to treat the wound. That way, you won’t be among the statistics of people who get their feet amputated each year.