Diabetic Wound Care Specialist Q&A

A person with diabetes struggles to produce or use insulin, and insulin allows the body to turn glucose into energy. Without this ability, the body can have high blood sugar levels, and this can affect the body’s capability to heal wounds. As a result, a diabetic wound may heal slowly and even progress more quickly. Also, conditions associated with diabetes, like neuropathy, poor circulation, immune system deficiency, and infection, can affect healing too.

Even just a small wound on the foot can quickly become a foot ulcer. This condition can become serious if it isn’t treated properly. It’s a sad fact, but it’s true that around a fifth of diabetics who develop an ulcer will need a lower limb amputation. As you can likely tell now, it’s really important for a diabetic person to do regular self-checks and catch wounds early. Treating them properly and helping them heal more quickly is important too.

Regular self-checks can help you catch wounds early before they become infected or more complicated. You should check your feet, including in between and under your toes, as these are common places for wounds, and wounds on the feet can be very serious for diabetics. Also, eating a healthy diet will help you keep your blood sugar levels stable and can even help you heal more quickly when a wound occurs. Ask your doctor or one of our specialists here at Fast Aid Urgent Care about what a healthy diet would look like for you. It’s also important to stay active, as exercise helps to improve insulin sensitivity and even healing. Not smoking is important too.

You can help yourself a bit when you get a wound, so long as it’s minor. Wash the area with soap and water regularly, then dry the area well and apply an antibiotic ointment to keep the wound clean. Removing dead tissue from the wound can help you see the wound better and avoid infection. However, this may be a process best left to a professional. Additionally, remember to keep your wound dressings fresh and keep pressure off of the area. All this will also help the wound heal faster.

Because diabetic wound care is so important, you really should get professional care if you think you may need it and especially if the wound or your symptoms worsen at all. Any signs of infection (like drainage) should be addressed professionally too. If a wound is serious and life-threatening, you need to call 911 for care.

With a diabetic wound, close monitoring is crucial. Consider treatment here at Fast Aid Urgent Care. We can help you monitor your wound and treat it too. Sometimes special footgear or crutches can help to take pressure off of a foot wound so it can heal better and faster. We can also help you with proper dressing for the wound and prescribe you a quality topical medication to keep the wound clean and promote healing. On top of all that, we can make sure your body is circulating blood as efficiently as it can, which will also help you heal quickly. Of course, we can also help you control your blood glucose.

Reach out to us today if you believe you’d benefit from our care here at Fast Aid Urgent Care. We serve patients from Bulverde Rd San Antonio TX, Windcrest TX, Selma TX, Bastrop TX, Paige TX, Smithville TX, Alamo Ranch San Antonio TX, Leon Valley TX, Helotes TX, La Grange TX, Rabbs Prairie TX, Halsted TX, Leon Springs TX, Fair Oaks Ranch TX, Cross Mountain TX, New Braunfels TX, Hunter TX, Zorn TX, Potranco Road San Antonio TX, Rio Medina TX, Rolling Oaks Estates TX, Dripping Springs, TX, Saddletree Ranch TX, and Belterra TX.