Treatment for Diabetic Wound Care in Greenbelt MD and proudly serving Temple Hills & Ellicott, MD
Diabetes affects your major body systems, including your immune, circulatory, and nervous systems. One of the most common problems associated with diabetes is experiencing delayed healing, or wounds that fail to heal. Visiting your podiatrist regularly is important when you have diabetes.
How Diabetes Affects Your Feet
Common foot problems associated with diabetes are diabetic neuropathy, loss of sensation in your feet, and lack of blood flow. This means that if you injure your feet, you may not feel the injury. Instead of healing properly, a small cut or blister can turn into a painful diabetic wound.
How To Care for Your Feet When You Have Diabetes
You need to take special care of your feet when you have diabetes, to ensure proper healing. You need to:
- Wash and dry your feet thoroughly every day
- Apply moisturizing lotion or cream to your feet and toes to keep your skin from cracking
- Keep nails trimmed straight across to avoid ingrown toenails
- Check your feet for open sores, cuts, or blisters
- Apply antibiotic cream and bandage any injured areas
- Do foot and toe stretches to improve blood flow
When You Should Visit a Podiatrist for Diabetic Wound Care
Yearly visits to the podiatrist are important, especially if you have diabetes. During your visit, your podiatrist will examine your feet, looking for open sores or wounds, signs of infection, inadequate circulation, or loss of sensation. In addition to your yearly foot exam, you should also visit a podiatrist if you:
- Have an open wound or sore that does not heal
- Notice bruising or blanching of your tissue
- Feel numbness, tingling, or stabbing pain
- Have difficulty standing, walking, or moving due to problems with your feet or toes
How Your Podiatrist Can Help with Diabetic Wound Care
For diabetic wounds, your podiatrist may clean and debride the wound, and apply topical antibiotic cream. There are several types of dressing materials your podiatrist will use to bandage the wound, so it can heal properly. Your podiatrist may also prescribe oral antibiotics and other medications to eliminate infection and speed healing.
Want To Know More About Diabetic Wound Care?
To discover more about how to take care of your feet when you are diabetic, and when to see your podiatrist for diabetic wound care, call Drs. Richard Cohen, Jeffrey Steinberg, and Alex Lakner at Total Foot Care in Greenbelt, MD. You can reach them in the office by calling (301) 345-4087, so call today.