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What is a Diabetic Foot Ulcer?
 A
diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15
percent of patients with diabetes, and is commonly located on the bottom of the
foot. Of those who develop a foot ulcer, six percent will be hospitalized due
to infection or other ulcer-related complication.
Diabetes is the leading cause
of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations in the United States, and
approximately 14 to 24 percent of patients with diabetes who develop a foot
ulcer have an amputation. Research, however, has shown that the development of
a foot ulcer is preventable.
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Who Can Get a Diabetic Foot Ulcer?
 Anyone who has
diabetes can develop a foot ulcer. Native Americans, African Americans,
Hispanics and older men are more likely to develop ulcers. People who use
insulin are at a higher risk of developing a foot ulcer, as are patients with
diabetes-related kidney, eye, and heart disease. Being overweight and
using alcohol and tobacco also play a role in the development of foot
ulcers.
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How Do Diabetic Ulcers Form?
 Ulcers
form due to a combination of factors, such as lack of feeling in the foot, poor
circulation, foot deformities, irritation (such as friction or pressure),
and trauma, as well as duration of diabetes. Patients who have diabetes
for many years can develop neuropathy, a reduced or complete lack
of ability to feel pain in the feet due to nerve damage caused by
elevated blood glucose levels over time. The nerve damage often can occur
without pain and one may not even be aware of the problem. Your podiatric
physician can test feet for neuropathy with a simple and painless tool called a
monofilament.
Vascular disease can
complicate a foot ulcer, reducing the body's ability to heal and increasing the
risk for an infection. Elevations in blood glucose can reduce the body's
ability to fight off a potential infection and also retard healing.
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