Preventing diabetic foot ulcers needs greater priority
Today, I want to share with you an interesting article written by one of our contributing editors, nutritionist, Dr Martin Hum. It concerns a major health risk that many people with diabetes face: diabetic foot ulcers.
Over to you Martin.
Prioritising the risk
Diabetic foot ulcers are such a big problem that every single day almost 3000 people around the world lose a foot or a leg because of them.
If you have diabetes, you need to take special care of your feet, and the key factor in avoiding potentially disabling diabetic foot ulcers is awareness – together with a regular foot care routine that should be as automatic as cleaning your teeth before bed. The main thing is to wash, dry and examine your feet carefully every day, looking for swelling, tenderness, numbness and other potential problems.
According to a new review, more attention should be given to preventing the recurrence of diabetic foot ulcers. That’s because it is estimated that up to one-third of people with diabetes will develop foot ulcers – which increases their risk of further complications, including heart attacks, infections and amputations.
Specialists from the Universities of Manchester, Arizona and Amsterdam co-authored the review, which calls for doctors to be more aware of the dangers of diabetic foot ulcers and to put more emphasis on keeping patients ulcer-free. The review shows that emergency hospital admissions for diabetic foot ulcers and associated infections outnumber those for heart failure, kidney disease and most types of cancer.
Currently, the emphasis is on healing the foot ulcer and getting the patient on their feet again. But 40 per cent of patients get another ulcer within a year, and 75 per cent within five years. So, keeping these patients in remission for as long as possible should be seen as equally important as treating an existing foot ulcer.
The review also reveals that many doctors may be unaware of the consequences of diabetic ulcers, which makes sobering reading. More than half of diabetic foot ulcers become infected, and around 20 per cent of moderate or severe infections lead to amputation. Even more frightening is the fact that 70 per cent of diabetes patients who have undergone an amputation die within five years.
Fortunately, there are several simple things you can do yourself to prevent a foot ulcer or spot one early. There are also some supplements that could help reduce your risk of developing the nerve damage (neuropathy) that leads to ulcer formation. These include curcumin and fish oils, as well as supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid, vitamin E, vitamin B12 and proanthocyanidins (plant chemicals present in grape seed extract, dark chocolate and apples). Always work with a alternative health practitioner to determine the right doses for you.
Wishing you the best of health,
Martin Hum
PhD DHD Nutritionist
for Daily Health
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Sources:
Armstrong DG, Boulton AJM, Bus SA. Diabetic foot ulcers and their recurrence. N Engl J Med. 2017; 376(24):2367-2375.
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I’ve heard that castor oil is great for treating diabetic foot ulcers, but I guess you can only use it during the early stages.