Diabetic Wound Care in Gig Harbor, WA
When it comes to having diabetes, one of the most important parts is caring for your feet. There are complications that can occur with diabetes that make it difficult to detect a wound without actually seeing it and this can lead to wounds that don’t heal and then cause infection. It’s important that you’re aware of what could cause a diabetic ulcer and how your podiatrist in Gig Harbor, WA can help you learn how to prevent these ulcers and how diabetic wound care can help save your foot.
Caring for Diabetic Feet
It’s crucial that you’re aware of what could cause a diabetic ulcer so that you know when to turn to our podiatry team at Gig Harbor Foot and Ankle Clinic for diabetic wound care. If left untreated, a wound could easily lead to infection, which could cause further problems in your body and even lead to amputation of your foot.
If you injure yourself or there’s a rock in your shoe that you can’t feel, it could cause a wound that needs to be treated as soon as possible. There are different factors when it comes to diabetes that cause these wounds to not heal and cause infection. High blood sugar can cause the arteries to stiffen and restrict blood and oxygen throughout your body, which decreases the body’s natural healing abilities, causing these wounds to stay open.
With diabetes, most people will experience nerve damage as well. Because of this nerve damage, many people don’t have full feeling in their feet, which means that you won’t be able to fully feel if you’ve experienced a cut. If you’re not checking your feet on a regular basis, you won’t be able to know that you’re dealing with a wound. Similarly, poor circulation can also contribute to this numbness and leave wounds going undetected.