Diabetic Foot Treatment

It is a disabling condition seen in the feet of diabetic patients whose blood sugar is high for a long time.

Nerve abrasions, which manifest themselves with neuropathic symptoms such as burning, tingling, pins and needles in the feet, and the feeling of having socks on their feet, especially in the evening, cause erosion in the veins after a while. The complaints we call neuropathic pain cause numbness in the feet of some diabetic patients due to nerve abrasions, and the patient realizes the wound on their foot much later.

In diabetic patients, what we call peripheral neuropathy firstly causes burning in the feet, then tingling, numbness, and nervous sensory disorders such as not feeling even if they step on a nail . In diabetic patients, some circulatory problems begin to appear in the feet due to abrasions in the veins. Constricting shoes and tight socks are a problem for these patients. They cannot notice many problems such as infections, irritations, cuts, scratches and pain in their feet. Performing a nerve test called EMG gives us solid evidence of the existence of the problem. Those with diabetes should pay particular attention to foot care.

Foot Problems in Diabetics

Even when these patients are cutting their nails, they should be very careful and avoid damaging the surrounding tissues. The formation of oil plugs in the damaged vessel is facilitated. The blood flow to our feet is reduced. Small wounds that are ignored turn into deep and difficult-to-treat wounds over time. The inability of diabetic patients to heal their wounds is due to high blood sugar. Once a wound occurs, measures must be taken immediately. When the process reaches the level of scratches, wounds, deep ulcers and gangrene, it can progress to cutting of the feet.

Diabetes is a disease that causes faulty or insufficient insulin production or insulin resistance. Insulin, on the other hand, is a hormone secreted by our pancreas and helps to balance blood sugar by inserting it into the cells. When the blood sugar-insulin mechanism is disrupted, blood sugar begins to increase and causes chronic health problems. Long-term high sugar levels in the blood can damage many parts of the body, including the feet.

More than half of the patients whose feet were amputated in the United States are due to diabetes. Considering this situation, the wounds that will occur on the feet should never be neglected. Foot infections should be treated urgently in diabetic patients.

Especially; changes in skin color on the feet,

swelling in the foot or ankle,

temperature changes in the feet,

permanent wounds on the feet,

pain or tingling in the feet or ankles,

ingrown toenails,

athlete's foot or other fungal infections,

dry, cracked skin on the heels

signs of infection

Diabetic Foot Treatment in Diabetics

Wounds on the feet of diabetics should never be neglected. It should be treated with care. Measures should be taken to increase blood flow to the feet and control infection. If the wound has deepened and has become threatening to the whole system, the area should be cleaned of necrotic (dead) tissues by a method called debridement and wound care should be continued.

Ozone Therapy

Patients who are sent to hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treatment benefit from it. However, scientific studies have shown that ozone (active oxygen) therapy provides better and lasting benefits in these patients. Ozone therapy is one of the indispensable treatments for diabetic foot problems due to its germ-killing, tissue-oxygenating, correcting micro-circulation in the region, reducing edema and restoring the skin.

Sympathetic Blockade Treatment

One of the aims in the treatment of foot burns and pain due to diabetes is blood flow to the tissue. The way to do this is to block the sympathetic nerves, which control the veins in the feet and located on both sides of the waist, with the radiofrequency method. As a result, the veins going to the feet will expand and remain so. Thanks to this method, both the pain is reduced and the blood flow to the problematic tissues is improved, making serious contributions to the treatment.

Diabetic foot wounds that are not managed carefully can cause dramatic results, starting from the toes and ending with amputation of the foot upwards. Those with diabetes should take care of their feet.