Sores on diabetic foot - how to deal with them?

See podiatrist: Or wound care specialist immediately. This is not something to deal with on your own. This requires medical attention. The problems can be multifactorial.

Reduce activity and: See foot specialist. Simple sores can get infected quickly leading to strong IV antibiotics bone infection and surgery. Important to determine why sores are forming most likely due to bone pressure from deformities in the foot. Need x-rays to see bone deformities. Special shoes and insoles may be necessary to prevent future sores.

Have it treated: Professionally. The wounds must be cleaned of any dead tissue and protected with an antibiotic dressing and/or a specialized wound product depending on what is going on. Any infection must be treated and the sores must be offloaded--pressure removed from the spots. That has to be done on a lasting basis to prevent recurrences. And your blood sugar must be under better control.

Multiple factors: Wound care requires multi-discipline input for proper wound healing. There are multiple modalities and multiple strategies to get a wound closed but it takes a knowledgeable well trained specialist to know when to implement the appropriate treatment during the course of wound healing.

Have it checked out: Diabetes can cause several complications that affect the feet. Any sore other than a simple scratch should be evaluated by your podiatrist.Do not take any chances. Additionally, your internist and endocrinologist should be following you closely.

Multifactorial: Offloading of diabetic foot ulcers, adequate circulation, good nutrition, blood sugar control, infection control or prevention, regular wound debridement by your physician, and local wound care are essential factors for wound healing. If any of these pieces of the puzzle are missing the final outcome may not be a pretty picture.

Wound care. : Diabetic ulcers will generally heal if you offload the area (decrease direct pressure with an insert, or a wheelchair), have your doctor trim the callus and dead tissue away on a regular basis, and if the ulcer is infected, you may need oral or IV antibiotics, depending on the severity of the infection.

Immediate attention : The quicker you seak treatment the quicker we can get a grasp of the cause and healing plan.

See a specialist: Sorry to hear, but you need to see a specialist (podiatrist) to treat these sores and you may need a team of doctors to fully heal from this disease. Because you have diabetes, it may be more complicated than simple wound care. Best of luck.