diabetic foot Treatment in Dubai
What is a diabetic foot?
Diabetes patients frequently experience foot problems. They are more likely to develop foot ulcers, deformities, and infections. A diabetic foot ulcer or blister can become infected if not treated promptly. To prevent the spread of infection, a foot doctor in Dubai may need to amputate (remove) a toe, foot, or part of the leg.
Diabetic foot is a serious medical condition resulting in painful ulcers or wounds. The condition is prevalent in chronic diabetic patients and needs immediate treatment.
Foot ulcers are a common side-effect of poorly controlled diabetes leading to the breakdown of skin tissue and exposure of the layers beneath. They are most common under the balls of your feet and big toes and can affect your heels and legs all the way down to the bones.
Damaged nerves may also make it more difficult for you to feel pain, see other signs of ulcers, or develop infections. This can delay the treatment of minor wounds until they become ulcers. Foot ulcers can occur in all diabetic patients; however, they can be avoided with proper care. Treatment for such foot ulcers varies depending on the cause and the severity.
Diabetes can also cause Charcot Foot
Charcot Foot is a rare yet serious diabetic foot condition. It can affect people with peripheral neuropathy, particularly those with diabetes. Charcot disease affects the foot or ankle bones, joints, and soft tissues. In this disease, the bones and the joint ligaments become brittle and can break, leading the foot or ankle joints to dislocate. Hence, it is critical to diagnose the condition as early as possible.
Causes of diabetic foot
High blood sugar – High blood sugar levels can harm your blood vessels and nerves. This reduces blood flow, particularly to your legs, hands, and limbs, making it more difficult for cuts and ulcers to heal. In such cases, you are more likely to become infected.
Peripheral Arterial Disease – Diabetes is also linked to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition that reduces blood flow to your feet and legs, increasing your risk of developing ulcers.
Accidentally hurting your foot – Ulcers can also develop as a result of stepping on something, blisters, cuts, wearing inappropriate and tight shoes, and so on.
Narrow arteries – Narrow arteries may also limit blood flow to the feet of certain diabetics, impairing the foot’s ability to heal properly. Ulcers may form if the foot is unable to heal.
Dry skin – Diabetes is associated with dry skin. Your legs may be more prone to cracking. Blisters, corns, and bleeding cuts are possible.
Symptoms of diabetic foot
Consult our foot doctor in Dubai if you have any irritation, pain, or new sensations, particularly in your foot.
Some of the typical symptoms are as follows:
- Unusual itchiness, swelling, odours, and redness
- Drainage from the foot in any form
- Pain or numbness in a specific area
- Black tissue formation around the ulcer area
- Toenail infection
- Skin changes
- Open wounds require more time to heal.
Diabetic foot treatment in Dubai
Anti-pressure treatments
Stay off your feet to avoid ulcer pain. This is known as off-loading, and it is beneficial for all types of diabetic foot ulcers. Walking can aggravate an infection and cause an ulcer to spread.
The doctor may advise you to wear the following items to protect your feet:
- Diabetes-specific footwear
- Total Contact Casts and foot braces
- Shoe inserts with compression wraps to prevent corns and calluses
Medications
Sometimes, the infection on your foot may persist despite preventive or anti-pressure treatments. In such cases, in order to prevent the ulcer from worsening, our doctor may prescribe antibiotics, antiplatelets, or anti-clotting medications that target Staphylococcus aureus – the bacteria that cause common skin infections.
Surgical treatment
Our specialist surgeon may advise you to seek surgical diabetic foot treatment in Dubai for your ulcers. By shaving down the bone or getting rid of foot abnormalities such as bunions or hammertoes, a surgeon can help relieve pressure around your ulcer.
Your ulcer is unlikely to require surgery. However, if no other treatment options are available to help your ulcer heal, surgery can stop it from worsening or leading to amputation.
Visit our foot and ankle clinic for all your foot-related ailments
Driven by a highly experienced British orthopaedic surgeon, Dr KP Meda, we treat people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and offer non-surgical and surgical treatments for foot and ankle conditions such as heel pain, bunions, hammer toe, Morton’s neuroma, flatfoot, Achilles tendon conditions, joint arthritis and many other major foot conditions at our clinic.
With more than 30 years of exposure in orthopaedics, Dr Meda – Podiatrist is an expert at managing all types of foot-related trauma and deformities. His preference is always to try non-surgical management before performing safe surgical procedures when indicated, with an emphasis on function and aesthetics to achieve excellent results.
