Diabetes and Ulcers: Prevention and Treatment

Diabetes is a condition that has been rapidly spreading throughout the United States. It is a condition where your body is unable to process sugar the way that it should be. As a result, many different medical conditions can follow. The key to preventing these additional conditions is to control your blood sugar and stay in shape. However, with time, your diabetes can progress to eventually cause peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy in diabetics starts at your feet and causes your feet to not be able to feel things that are touching them. This includes things such as pebbles or rolled up socks inside your shoe.

After a long day of your feet rubbing up against these additional objects, you can end up rubbing an ulcer. These ulcers, if not treated, can lead to infection in your skin and muscles and then into your bone. This is why it is so important to go to your podiatrist for regular check-ups. It is especially important because just as you may not feel that pebble in your shoe, you’ll also not feel the ulcer on the bottom of your foot.

Once an ulcer occurs, it must be treated aggressively to avoid other complications. Your podiatrist will have a specific treatment plan for your particular ulcer that must be followed to get best results. This treatment can include removal of the dead tissue, antibiotics, cushioning the ulcer, using crutches and even using skin grafts. Regardless of the treatment plan, you must be religious in your care in order to get the best results and avoid worse results.

If you or someone you know is a diabetic patient, it is vital that you form a relationship with your podiatrist. If you live in the North Andover, Billerica, Tewksbury or Newburyport, Massachusetts area, our office would be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment. Dr. Wachtel will be able to get you onto a regular exam schedule to provide you with the best preventative care and intervention.