Today, I am going talk to you about how to prevent a diabetic ulcer from developing on the bottom of your foot.
Check the Bottom of Your Feet Daily
The first and most important thing to do is, on a daily basis, you must look at your foot, and this means the bottom of your foot. It's the hardest place to see, particularly, if it's hard to you bend down, which means either you use a mirror or you ask a loved one who can look at the bottom of that foot on a daily basis.
What Should You Look For On the Bottom of Your Foot?
So what are you looking for? It's pretty simple. You're looking for blood, cracked skin, redness, and any open wounds.
- Blood. And maybe even more easily, if you take the sock off or you take yesterday's sock, and you'll see that there is any blood in it. It's an immediate sign of danger.
- Cracked skin. What do you do when you have cracked skin? Maybe you use a moisturizing cream. But these cracks can develop into deeper fissures, and if you're diabetic, you may not feel it. So if you see that you're looking at your skin and now dry skin is becoming a deeper cracked skin, this is a signal to act.
- Redness. Redness is not normal. And it can be very small, but localized around a wound is a definite sign of impending infection and a need to act.
- Open wound. Finally, if you either have an open wound or an area that's become soft and is discolored, there's a wound under the skin about to open. And it's a sign to act.
What Should You Do If You Have These Signs of a Diabetic Foot Ulcer?
After you've inspected the foot, you need to write it down, share it with someone, and finally act on it. If you call our office with any of these worrisome signs, you won't be waiting long to get in, often that day. We want you in the office to prevent an emergency. And an emergency means that you have an infection that requires hospitalization. So if you're diabetic and you have signs of redness, dry cracked skin, an open wound, or an area that's changed in color from the way it's been looking, look at your feet daily, contact us immediately, and let's help you keep these feet attached.
