Foot Ulcers

Ulcers occur most often over the ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big toe. Ulcers on the sides of the foot are usually due to poorly fitting shoes. Remember, even though some Ulcers do not hurt, every ulcer should be seen by your health care provider right away. Neglecting Ulcers can result in infections, which in turn can lead to loss of a limb.

What your health care provider will do varies with your ulcer. Your health care provider should take X rays of your foot to make sure the bone is not infected. The health care provider will cut out any dead and infected tissue. You may need to go into the hospital for this. Also, the health care provider will culture the wound to find out what type of infection you have and which antibiotic will work best.

Keeping off your feet is very important. Walking on an ulcer can make it get larger and force the infection deeper into your foot. Your health care provider may put a special cast on your foot to protect it.

Good diabetes control is important. High blood sugar levels make it hard to fight infection.
If your ulcer is not healing and your circulation is poor, your health care provider may need to refer you to a vascular surgeon.

After the foot ulcer heals, you should still treat your foot carefully. Scar tissue under the healed wound will break down easily. You may need to wear special shoes after the ulcer is healed to protect this area and to prevent the ulcer from coming back.

Several things make some people more likely to get foot Ulcers. You are more prone to foot Ulcers if you are more than 40 years old, have had a foot ulcer before, have had diabetes-related changes in your eyes, or have kidney disease, nerve damage, or poor blood flow, especially to your feet

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