Treating Foot Ulcers -Tips and Methods!
Sometimes feet and toes can get wounded or Ulcers. These Ulcers usually take a long time to heal. It is common in people affected by diabetes and have neuropathy.
These ulcers can get infected at times, and a need to amputate the foot or the toes may arise. Hence, treating foot ulcers before it is too late is better. The patients must undergo surgical and nonsurgical treatments to treat their ulcers. The patients can visit wound care specialist Tamarac to get rid of their foot ulcers.
Non-surgical treatment for foot ulcers.
Here are some of the non-surgical foot ulcer treatments that a patient can have.
- Antibiotics
If a foot ulcer has some infection, the doctor will prescribe the patient some antibiotics, and This treatment is usually taken orally. The duration of treatment varies according to the extent of the infection.
However, if the infection has spread to the tissues or the bone around the wound, then the doctor may recommend an intravenous (IV) infusion. This helps to deliver the antibiotics in the bloodstream directly and helps the body to fight infection more quickly.
- Wound Care
Wound care is essential for foot ulcers. The doctor usually cleans and removes the dead skin around the wound. The wound is then bandaged to keep it sterile and prevent infection from further spreading.
Some of the other treatments for foot ulcers are Custom Orthotics and Braces and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. These treatments help heal patients’ wounds, leading them to live healthy lives.
Who may get foot ulcers?
Foot ulcers are common in Black, Hispanic, and Native American people. Patients with heart or kidney diseases along with diabetes are at higher risk of getting foot ulcers.
Apart from that, more than 15% of diabetic patients get ulcers and get hospitalized due to some complications.
The person is also at a higher risk of developing a foot ulcer if he or she has these health conditions.
- Obesity.
- Blood circulation issues.
- Heart disease.
- Kidney Disease.
- bunion or hammertoe.
Plus, people who are exposed to tobacco and alcohol are at a greater risk of getting foot ulcers.
What are the symptoms of getting foot Ulcers?
Some of the symptoms of foot ulcers are:
- Cracked skin,
- Dry skin,
- Scaly skin.
- Rashes.
- Redness.
If the ulcer gets wider, it reaches deeper and longer ranges. Sometimes there is a risk of ulcers reaching the bone. In the advanced stages of Ulcers, the patients might notice these symptoms:
- A callus.
- A brown discoloration
- halo (ring) around the center of the wound
- Drainage
- A strong odor.