Wound repair skin graft for diabetic foot ulcers. New from Wright Medical.

How Diabetic Foot Ulcers Form
There are a combination of factors that cause diabetic foot ulcers to form, such as a lack of feeling in the foot, poor circulation, foot deformities, foot irritation such as friction or pressure, trauma, as well as the ongoing disease of diabetes. Patients who suffer with diabetes for many years can develop neuropathy, a reduced or complete lack of feeling in the feet due to nerve damage which is caused by elevated blood glucose levels over time. Often the nerve damage occurs without any pain felt by the patient. Your podiatrist can test you for neuropathy. Foot ulcers can also be complicated by vascular disease, which reduces the body's ability to heal, therefore increasing the risk for an infection. Diabetes can also reduce the body's ability to fight off infections and also slow healing.^{2, 10}

Basically, people with diabetes have poor blood flow in their hands and feet. They also tend to have a decreased sensation to pain, and often experience a gradual loss of nerve function, known as neuropathy. Foot deformities, as well as the ongoing disease of diabetes are also factors that can cause diabetic foot ulcers to form. These factors combined with an outside factor such as shoes that rub on a certain spot over time and cause the skin to break down causing friction and pressure, can lead to a wound that is difficult to heal. Patients may not report symptoms, but they may experience:

Pain
Tingling
Burning sensation, especially at night
Unsteadiness in standing and walking

Prevention is the Best Medicine For Diabetic Foot Care²

Control your diabetes through diet and insulin intake
Regularly check your blood sugar levels
Regularly check your feet for callus and breaks in the skin
Treat any infection²
Reduce friction and pressure by wearing good footwear²

For more diabetic foot care tips, see our Diabetes Foot Care page.