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Inspect your feet.
Because you may not
feel irritations, you
need to go looking for
them on your feet—
every day. “Watch for
cuts, cracks, blisters,
redness, swelling or
thickened skin,”
Dr. Vu says.
16 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
INFORM.
INSPECT. INTERVENE.
If you have diabetes, these are the
three words that can help protect your
feet. And it’s crucial that you become
familiar with them.
The reason: Diabetes puts you at risk
for foot ulcers. These open sores that
develop on skin can lead to infection,
hospitalization and even amputation.
But they don’t have to.
Podiatrist Viet Anh Vu, DPM, explains
below how you can use the three I’s to
keep your feet safe.
Informyourself about the risk.
Foot
ulcers may begin as sores that result
from poorly fitting shoes, long pe-
riods in bed or an injury that breaks
the skin. “But because diabetes can
damage nerves, you might not feel any
discomfort—what starts as a small irri-
tation can be easy to miss until it gets
much worse,” Dr. Vu says.
Diabetes can also damage blood
vessels, which may limit blood flow to
the area.
“This makes healing more difficult—
especially when blood sugar levels are
high,” Dr. Vu says. “If infection sets in, it may
lead to gangrene, which can be deadly.”
According to the American Podiatric
Medical Association, your risk of a foot
ulcer increases if you use insulin; have
diabetes-related kidney, eye or heart
disease; are overweight; or use alco-
hol or tobacco. Risk also is elevated in
older men, Native Americans, African
Americans and Hispanic people.
Inspect your feet.
Because you may
not feel irritations, you need to go look-
ing for them on your feet—every day.
“Watch for cuts, cracks, blisters, redness,
swelling or thickened skin,” Dr. Vu says.
“Foot odor or drainage on your sock
could also be signs of trouble.”
Intervene to prevent trouble.
At the
first sign of any foot problem, tell your
doctor. “Quick treatment lowers the risk
of infection,” Dr. Vu says. “That treatment
may include taking pressure off your
foot, removing dead tissue, and applying
topical medications and dressings. If
infection sets in, antibiotics and special-
ized wound care may be needed.”
Take a stand against
foot ulcers
Our highly trained wound
care staff can take care of
diabetic foot ulcers and
other types of wounds.
To learn more, visit
www.archbold.org.
Viet Anh Vu, DPM
Podiatrist
Thomasville Foot and Ankle Center