Diabetic Foot Care

Routine diabetic foot care is a necessity if you’re living with diabetes. Regular checkups can identify potential problems to keep your feet healthy for years to come. At Podo Care Foot & Ankle in Ashburn, Virginia, board-certified podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Anchal Dureja, DPM, offers diabetic foot care to people of all ages. Call the office today to request a diabetic foot care consultation, or make your appointment online.

What is diabetic foot care?

Diabetic foot care is a podiatry subspecialty involving diagnosing and treating diabetes-related foot problems, including ingrown toenails, slow-healing wounds, and poor blood flow.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects your pancreas’ ability to regulate blood sugar. If your blood sugar levels remain high for an extended period, it can result in nerve damage, especially in your feet and legs.

If the nerves in your lower extremities don’t function normally, you can injure yourself and not realize it, increasing the risk of infection, gangrene, or amputation.

Who can benefit from diabetic foot care?

Make an appointment at Podo Care Foot & Ankle for diabetic foot care if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and have any of the following symptoms:

• Tingling or numbness in your legs or feet
• Pain
• Swelling
• Skin discoloration
• Hair loss on your legs or feet

If you have a diabetic wound, the sore may ooze blood or pus.

What does diabetic foot care involve?

At Podo Care Foot & Ankle, diabetic foot care is tailored to each patient’s needs. Still, most visits include the same steps. 

Your podiatrist reviews your medical records and asks about your diabetes, including the type, when you were diagnosed, and if you take any prescription medication.

Next, they complete a podiatry exam, checking your feet, toes, and ankles for skin discoloration, hair loss, and open wounds. Your provider then touches your toes and legs with various tools, checking your reflexes and ability to feel sensations.

If you have a diabetic ulcer or another open wound, your provider orders X-rays to see how far the infection goes beneath your skin and to determine the best treatment approach.

How are diabetic wounds treated?

Treatment of diabetic wounds depends on various factors, including the ulcer's size, location, and severity. Podo Care Foot & Ankle may recommend:

• Cleaning the wound
• Draining fluid or pus from the wound
• Removing diseased or damaged tissue (debridement)
• Applying special bandages or ointments to promote healing
• Prescribing a wheelchair or crutches to take the weight off the wound
• Prescribing antibiotics to help eliminate the infection

If you have an infection that increases your risk of gangrene, your podiatrist may recommend hospitalization or surgery.

Call Podo Care Foot & Ankle today to request a diabetic foot care consultation, or make your appointment online.