Diabetic sores, especially on the feet, are very common among diabetics. Usually, these wounds are also accompanied by changes in skin color, pus, an unpleasant odor, and a feeling of numbness.
Diabetics are more prone to injuries and infections, so skin changes, such as redness, swelling, blisters, or calluses can cause diabetic sores.
Therefore, checking their health condition every day is one of the important things for diabetics to do.
Causes of Diabetic Wounds
Diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels in the body are too high. High blood sugar levels can cause damage to nerves and blood vessels which then leads to diabetic ulcers.
Diabetics have a lifetime risk of about 15% for developing diabetic ulcers. If blood sugar levels are not properly controlled, the potential for diabetic ulcers is also more significant.
Here are some factors that can cause diabetics to experience diabetic sores:
- Nerve damage or poor blood circulation
- Has suffered from diabetes for a long time
- Uncontrolled blood sugar levels
- Overweight or obese
- High blood pressure or cholesterol
- Not taking good care of health, especially taking care of feet
Although it can occur in any part of the body, diabetic sores are more common in the legs and feet. Sores on the feet will be difficult to heal, especially if the blood flow to the legs is not smooth and blood sugar levels are too high. This condition is often found in people with type 2 diabetes.
The long-term effect of high blood sugar levels is nerve damage which can make diabetics experience numbness in the feet.
This makes diabetics not aware that they have suffered an injury, so they do not get proper treatment which exacerbates the condition.
Diabetic Wound Symptoms
Before recognizing the symptoms of diabetic wounds, know the signs of nerve damage in diabetics. The following are signs that a diabetic suffers from nerve damage:
- The skin color becomes dark around the affected area
- Reduced perception of temperature
- Pain appears
- Hair or fur loss on the affected part of the body
- Tingling and numbness
If diabetics experience complaints as mentioned above, be aware of the possibility of diabetic sores appearing. Some of the symptoms of diabetic sores are:
- Sores, blisters, calluses, and changes to the skin or toenails
- Discharge or pus
- Appears an unpleasant odor from the feet or injured body parts
- The skin becomes reddish
- Sick
- Swollen
In severe diabetic wounds, black tissue will appear around the wound. This black tissue is formed due to obstruction of blood flow to the injured leg area.
However, keep in mind that the symptoms of diabetic sores are not always obvious. Even for some people with diabetes, these symptoms do not appear until they have an infection.
Therefore, diabetics should consult a doctor if they feel complaints of nerve damage related to diabetes. The doctor will identify the severity of diabetic wounds on a scale of 0–5, namely:
- Scale 0: no open wounds
- Scale 1: the wound does not penetrate the deeper layers of the skin
- Scale 2: the wound is deeper and reaches the bone, tendon, and joint capsule
- Scale 3: the wound invades deeper tissues causing abscesses, osteomyelitis, or tendonitis
- Scale 4: gangrene in part of the forefoot or heel
- Scale 5: gangrene of the whole foot
Diabetic wounds resulting from infection and poor blood flow can lead to gangrene, which is the death of muscle, skin, and tissue in the feet. If gangrene does not improve with medical treatment, the diabetic may have to undergo an amputation procedure or the cutting of the damaged part of the leg.
To reduce the risk of gangrene, here are some ways to treat diabetic wounds that can be done:
- Clean the wound
- Use sandals or shoes that are not narrow
- Putting a special bandage on the wound
- Using diabetes wound medicines from doctors
Diabetics are also advised to consult a doctor regularly to control blood sugar levels. Routinely going to the doctor can also make the symptoms of diabetes sores recognized and treated as early as possible.