Texas Podiatrists Explain the Relationship Between Nutrition and Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Nutrition plays a major role in diabetes management. Proper nutrition is not only important to people with diabetes for blood sugar control, but it also plays a role in preventing and healing diabetic foot ulcers. If you have diabetes, it’s important to learn everything you can about how to avoid complications related to diabetic feet, including the role diet may play in diabetic foot ulcers, and to establish a relationship with a foot doctor who has experience treating diabetic foot ulcers.
If you live or work in Tarrant County and are looking for a Southlake podiatrist, the team at Alliance Foot & Ankle Specialists is here to help. Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our experienced foot doctors. They have the skills to diagnose and treat all kinds of foot conditions, including those that are complications of diabetes.
5 Key Ways Nutrition Relates to Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Nutrition plays a crucial role in the management and prevention of diabetic foot ulcers. If you have diabetes, it’s very important to understand the relationship between what you eat and how it relates to your overall health and potential complications of diabetes, including foot ulcers.
Blood Sugar Control
Nutrition plays a major role in blood sugar control, which is an important key to reducing the risk associated with diabetic foot ulcers. People with diabetes are particularly susceptible to foot ulcers, and high blood sugar can impair the body’s ability to heal. Eating a fiber-rich diet and carefully managing carbohydrate consumption can help manage blood sugar.
Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet can help reduce the risk of pressure ulcers. It also promotes overall mobility, which can help prevent the development and worsening of diabetic foot ulcers.
Wound Healing
Not only do people with diabetes tend to be susceptible to foot ulcers, but they also often have trouble healing when this type of wound develops. Nutrition is directly related to the body’s ability to heal. Protein consumption plays a particularly important role, as it is essential for wound healing.
Immune Function
Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to impaired immune function, which poses a special risk in relation to diabetic foot ulcers. When a person’s immune response is not functioning as it should, wound healing is impaired, and there is an elevated risk of infection. Eating an antioxidant- and probiotic-rich diet that provides adequate vitamins and minerals can help support immune health.
Hydration
Drinking plenty of water is essential to many aspects of health, including wound healing and overall skin health. When a person doesn’t take in enough fluid, they will become dehydrated, which can impair cellular functions and delay the healing process.
Practical Tips You Can Use to Improve Nutrition
Proper nutrition is very important to overall diabetes management and to help prevent and manage complications of the disease, such as diabetic foot ulcers. Individuals with diabetes should work closely with their health care providers to develop a tailored nutrition plan that addresses their specific needs and promotes overall health. General tips to consider include:
- Eat a balanced diet. Emphasize lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains.
- Eat whole foods. Minimize processed foods and primarily eat fresh, whole foods instead.
- Manage carbohydrate intake. Focus on complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index and minimize or avoid simple carbohydrates.
- Drink plenty of water. Aim for at least eight glasses of water a day, or more if recommended by a health care provider.
- Get your vitamins and minerals. Ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake through a varied diet or, if advised to do so by a medical provider, via supplements.
Beyond Nutrition: Other Tips for Preventing Foot Ulcers
Eating right can help minimize your risk of developing a diabetic foot ulcer and help with the healing process if you do develop one. However, nutrition isn’t the only important factor in preventing diabetic foot ulcers. It’s also important to:
- Inspect your feet regularly
- Wash your feet every day
- Dry your feet thoroughly after washing them
- Apply lotion to the top and bottom of your feet every day
- Avoid putting lotion between your toes
- Cut your toenails straight across rather than at a slant
- Trim your toenails regularly
- Wear supportive shoes that fit properly
- Avoid wearing shoes with damaged lining
- Avoid going barefoot to prevent wounds
- Elevate your feet when sitting for an extended period of time
- Boost circulation by exercising your feet and ankles multiple times every day
- Avoid smoking cigarettes
What to Do if You Have a Diabetic Foot Wound
A person with diabetes should never ignore foot pain, even if it seems minor. In a diabetic, foot pain could indicate a foot ulcer, an infection, or another foot-related complication of diabetes. If you have diabetes and have foot pain or a foot wound, it’s very important to see a podiatrist immediately.
Seeking medical attention for a foot problem as soon as it develops is the best way to avoid developing an infection or other serious complications. If a diabetic foot ulcer isn’t caught quickly, the wound could become chronic. If you’re in the Tarrant County, Texas area and have foot pain, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment with one of the Southlake podiatrists at Alliance Foot & Ankle Specialists today.