Diabetic Wounds of the Legs

Diabetic Foot Wounds

Diabetic Wound Care | Georgia | Atlanta | Decatur As one of the many complications of diabetes, foot and leg wounds affect two to three percent of all diabetes patients each year. Of the thousands of lower-extremity amputations performed each year on diabetic patients, most of them are initially caused by a foot ulcer. When patients with diabetes develop a foot wound, their risk for amputation and their mortality rate becomes significantly higher than other diabetic patients.

What is a diabetic foot wound?

A diabetic foot wound is an ulcer that can develop from a simple injury, but for diabetic patients these injuries can easily become very serious. Patients with diabetes often have a loss of feeling and poor circulation in their feet, making them susceptible to serious injury, irritation and infection. With reduced circulation and loss of feeling, many diabetic patients don't even notice when injuries occur, and may not pay any attention to a wound until it has become quite severe.

Why do diabetic foot wounds develop?

Diabetic foot wounds develop as a result of neuropathic (nerve) and vascular (blood vessel) complications. As diabetes continues to affect the body for several years, nerve damage may occur from occasionally elevated blood glucose levels, and can cause a loss of feeling in the feet. Ulcers or wounds often develop on the bottom of the foot and may take a long time to heal because of the lack of blood flow to the foot.

With reduced circulation, there may not be enough oxygen traveling to the foot to stimulate wound healing, a condition known as hypoxia. Most chronic wounds suffer from hypoxia, especially in diabetics who often have impaired circulation and difficulty with healing.

How can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy help diabetic wounds?

HBOT was designed to help heal wounds in patients who do not receive enough oxygen. When combined with standard wound care, most patients are able to achieve significant improvement of their diabetic foot wounds through this simple, easy treatment.

Over continued treatment, HBOT can stimulate new blood vessels that deliver a healthy supply of blood to the wound, improve oxygen delivery and promote full healing of the wound. The delivered oxygen also helps decrease swelling and excess fluid in the tissue while acting as an antibiotic to fight infection. Patients with diabetic foot wounds who undergo HBOT have a lower rate of amputation than patients who do not undergo this treatment. This treatment can even help reduce the effects of poor circulation that commonly affects diabetic patients.

Is HBOT safe for diabetic patients?

HBOT has been used to help wound healing in patients with and without diabetes over several decades. This treatment is considered safe for diabetic patients and should not cause any complications from your condition. However, many patients do experience mild side effects from the HBOT treatment. Side effects may include temporary partial hearing loss and temporary changes in visual acuity, although they usually go away on their own within a few days after treatment.

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