how to prevent diabetic foot ulcers

How to prevent diabetic foot ulcers?

Diabetic foot ulcers occur when there is too much pressure or friction on vulnerable tissues in the feet. To prevent diabetic foot ulcers, then you need to:

  1. Reduce or eliminate the pressure or friction.
  2. Reduce the vulnerability of the tissues.

Reduce or eliminate the pressure or friction

As it is the excessive pressure on an area that typically leads to a diabetic foot ulcer, this should be reduced. There are many reasons for this. It could be a bunion is present and pressure from the shoe is the cause of the ulcer. There may be a hammer toe that gets too much pressure on the top if it from the shoe. It could be too much pressure on a metatarsal head on the bottom of the foot.

The elimination of this excessive pressure could mean surgery on the bunion or hammer toe if that is the problem. It could mean wearing insoles or pads with cavities that reduce pressure on specific areas of higher pressure. It could mean making sure that the shoe fit properly and there are no pressure points.

Reduce the vulnerability of the tissues

Diabetes makes the skin more fragile, so is much more vulnerable to damage. The best way to address this is with going to great lengths to make sure your blood glucose levels are maintained with the recommended ranges.

If you are at risk of a diabetic foot ulcer, then work with a podiatrist for strategies to prevent it.

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