Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot syndrome
Diabetic foot is a disorder of foot tissues in people with progressive diabetes, which occurs against the background of vascular disorders. Signs of the appearance of a diabetic foot at an early stage are already sufficiently pronounced. Thanks to competent and timely diagnosis, doctors can carry out adequate treatment and stop the development of pathology.
Symptoms of diabetic lesions of the lower extremities
A patient diagnosed with actively progressing diabetes should carefully examine their feet daily to detect symptoms of diabetic foot. It:
- decreased sensitivity - at first, a person notes that the skin of the feet does not respond to temperature fluctuations, then feels that the loss of tactile and pain sensitivity is combined;
- constant swellings;
- feet that are too hot or cold to the touch are a sign of an acute violation of blood circulation in the vessels;
- constant pains in the lower legs, even at rest;
- the appearance of bluish or markedly pale spots with a red tint on the lower limbs; the formation of first small, then larger ulcers on the feet and lower legs. They are constantly wet, cause severe pain and take a very long time to heal.
A patient with a diagnosis of diabetes should regularly undergo examinations by a doctor. In the diabetic foot department, you can undergo a complete examination and detect the pathological process already at the initial stages.
It is important to understand what diabetic foot gangrene looks like. The lack of sensitivity of the feet and the darkening of their skin should be alarming. In case of such symptoms, it is necessary to immediately seek qualified medical help, because most often, amputation of a part of the leg or the entire limb is inevitable with gangrene.
Treatment and prevention of diabetic foot complications
Prolonged therapy is necessary for any complications of diabetes. Treatment of diabetic foot requires special efforts.
Doctors recommend giving up bad habits (in particular, smoking) and avoiding stress on the lower limbs. It is imperative to compensate for the lack of insulin, and in parallel with this:
- introduction of antibacterial drugs to destroy the infectious agent in tissues;
- daily treatment of ulcers.
How to treat diabetic foot ulcers? Measures to restore and stabilize blood circulation in the vessels of the lower extremities, as well as to restore tissues, must be carried out.
If necrosis is detected in the ulcer tissues, surgical intervention will be required. Critical progression of the pathology can become a reason for limb amputation.
Diabetes patients should understand that it is easier to prevent complications than to treat them later. Even if diabetic changes in the foot are just beginning to develop, it is worth paying attention to certain points:
- shoes and insoles for a diabetic foot are selected individually with the help of a doctor - they make it possible to ease the load on the feet;
- every day you should wash your feet thoroughly with household soap and dry them well. During the procedure, the feet are examined for the presence of dark spots, reddened areas, ulcers that are beginning to form;
- socks, stockings and tights should be made only from natural materials. They should be changed twice a day;
- it is impossible to walk barefoot on grass, sand or on the floor at home - the sensitivity of such patients is reduced, they may simply not notice the injury.
The use of special creams for diabetic foot care is also practiced. Such means are enough. They contain elements with wound-healing properties. In addition, regular use of such preparations helps to strengthen the epidermis and eliminate flaking of the skin of the feet, as these preparations nourish the dermis.
Treatment of diabetic foot syndrome is carried out in a hospital when the disease progresses. The patient can also be treated on an outpatient basis - all appointments are performed in polyclinic or home conditions.
On our site https://dobrobut.com/ you can familiarize yourself with the classification of the diabetic foot by forms.