How to Manage Your Diabetic Foot Infection

When you have diabetes, there are a lot of things you have to manage. You need to keep track of your blood sugar levels, make healthy food choices, stay physically active, and take your medications as prescribed. Plus, when you have a chronic condition like diabetes, you have to visit your doctor regularly for check-ups.

In addition, when you have diabetes, high blood sugar levels can start to damage your nerve fibers in your legs and feet — a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. When you have peripheral neuropathy, you lose some sense of feeling in your feet. This means if you cut your foot, you may not realize it, leaving you vulnerable to ulcers, infection, and other complications.

Foot infections can be catastrophic and even result in the need for your foot to be amputated. Because of that, our team led by Michael Tran, at AllCare Foot & Ankle Center in Arlington and Dallas, Texas, wants you to know how to properly care for your feet — especially if you have an infection.

Understanding foot wounds and diabetes

Any type of foot wound such as a blister, cut, infected toenail, or sore has the potential to develop into an infection. When you have normal levels of feeling in your feet, the pain alerts you to the fact that there’s a problem. However, diabetes-induced nerve damage leaves you without these all too important alerts from your nerves.

So, if you injure your foot in some way, and you don’t realize it, the wound has a potential to worsen, leaving it vulnerable to bacteria that can infect your foot. Once the bacteria enter the wound, it can settle into the deep soft tissues of your foot and can eventually develop into full blown gangrene if it’s left untreated.

How to care for your feet

One of the best ways to avoid a diabetic foot infection is to take excellent care of your feet. Here are some tips on how to best care for your feet when you have diabetes:

• Perform a daily foot check to look for any injuries 
• Wash your feet in warm water daily and dry them off thoroughly 
• Never go barefoot and wear shoes that fit well
• Trim your toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toenails
• Walk around often to encourage optimal blood flow

In addition, always have your provider check your feet at every appointment.

Treating a diabetic foot infection

If you notice any changes in your feet or pus drainage from a wound or you have a fever, you need to see Dr. Tran for prompt and proper treatment. 

We can start by prescribing antibiotics and draining out infected fluid from the wound site. However, if the infection is severe, we may need to perform surgery to remove infected tissues to keep it from spreading.

If you have a diabetic foot condition, don’t wait to seek treatment. Contact our Dallas or Arlington office to set up an appointment or book an appointment online.