Diabetic foot ulcers can easily lead to amputation

Foot ulcers due to diabetes (diabetes) are a leading cause of limb amputation. Ulcers can start from a very small scratch, but because they don't care, the patient has a long-lasting infection that causes necrosis.

Currently, diabetes is one of the major threats to public health. The disease causes many types of complications, in which complications of the lower limbs, most obvious manifestations are foot ulcers, which greatly affects the morale and life of patients. This complication can be identified and monitored with the naked eye but has not been taken care of by both the doctor and the patient.

Foot ulcers in diabetes can start from a small 3 mm wound, a very small scratch due to an accidental collision . The patient with neurological complications will lose the pain feeling should be more vulnerable without knowing. From this small scratch, if it is not treated in the first place, the wound will be infected with ulcers and cause necrosis. To prevent necrosis from eating to other areas, there is only a way to remove the necrotic section.

According to statistics, nearly 60% of people with lower limbs are diabetic patients. 85% of these cases are caused by foot ulcers. 4 out of 5 patients with foot ulcers suffer from external injury: scratching and tripping are scratched. And the post-cut mortality rate is also very high, increasing with the duration of the disease.

" The reason why people with diabetes have so many ulcers in the foot is because doctors and patients have not considered daily foot care ," said Dr. Nguyen Thy Khue, a diabetes expert. Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, said. " Through the study, there are many patients who go to the hospital for many years but never once have the doctor ask about their feet. The doctor when examining diabetic patients is still very loud, people believe in high technology. So, don't care about the small details, don't care about the history of the patient, so don't help the patient detect the symptoms of foot ulcers in time, besides the patient is not conscious yet, has not been educated. full education to self-detect signs of foot ulcers , Dr. Khue added.

Timely detection of signs of foot ulcers is very important in maintaining health and preventing serious complications. In addition, it restricts negative thoughts and actions as well as partly restraints the cost of treatment for patients. Because ulcers not only cause mental breakdown, reduce physical strength, working ability, but also increase the cost of treatment very much, Dr. Khue admitted.

Therefore, to minimize the consequences of ulcerative leg ulcers, care for feet should be taken care of every day. Foot examination is required every year. Check skin, toenails, leg veins, pain . often. Patients with neurological complications should be examined for their feet at each visit.

The patient may examine himself or his loved one if the following requirements are met: the patient needs to: fold the spine, fold and rotate the hip joint, fold and rotate the knee; The eye recognizes 3mm wound in the soles of the feet.

Signs that the patient is likely to have foot ulcers: loss of calluses, insensitive feet, small but unhealthy scratches, dry cracked skin, deformed toes . When signs are detected strange signs on the legs, feet immediately go to the doctor to be indicated for timely preventive treatment.

Doctors also advise patients to apply medication to avoid dryness, skin cracking. Using grinding stones for calluses, do not let scratched calluses cause infections. Cut toenails every week. Always wear socks and shoes that fit, fit your feet.

In Vietnam, there is no foot specialist so that examination and treatment of foot diseases are methodical and effective. Therefore monitoring daily foot care is very important for diabetic patients.

My Lan