How to Prevent Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Since the peripheral nerve damage that often occurs in patients who have diabetes can disrupt the normal sense of feeling in your feet, even minor injuries like scrapes and blisters can go undetected and quickly progress to a problematic infection. So take good care of your feet and be sure to bring any foot or ankle difficulties to the attention of your podiatrist to help avoid future complications, including possible amputation.

When you have diabetes, it’s mandatory to prevent troublesome infections by:

Performing daily foot inspections—Because microbial infections can spread rapidly, especially when you don’t feel the initial wound, it is essential to do a thorough inspection of your feet every day for cuts, scrapes, lesions, etc.  Be sure to look carefully between your toes since such infections have a tendency to be missed. Also, check the bottom of your feet using a mirror if necessary to get a good look. Properly treat cuts and have corns and calluses treated by your foot doctor to avoid unnecessary injury.

Wearing properly fitted shoes with orthotic inserts and braces—Always wear properly sized shoes that are supportive and comfortable. Have a biomechanical analysis done at your foot doctor’s office for the fabrication of functional orthotics that can shift stress and pressure away from problem areas and avoid cuts and infections.

For patients who have diabetes, prompt treatment by your foot doctor of any wounds that aren’t healing is essential to avoiding gangrene and possible amputation of a toe or worse.

Schedule an appointment with Valley Stream Podiatry, located in  66 West Merrick Road, Valley Stream, NY 11580. With access to advanced technologies, Dr. Andrew Shapiro, Dr. Michael Barkin and Dr. Sajni Shah can help you manage all of your foot and ankle conditions, including heel pain, foot and ankle injuries, toe deformities, fungal toenails, and plantar warts. Call (516) 825-3860 or make an appointment online today.