After I learned that I was living with a serious health problem, I knew that recovery would become an important part of my life. To make things easier, I started talking with my doctor about my options. He recommended working with a home health care company, and it was really cool to see how much it helped. They came to my home and worked with me, and day by day, I got a little bit better. After going through that experience, I knew that I wanted to spread the word about home health care. Check out this website for great information.
Diabetic leg ulcers are extremely dangerous. Without proper care, diabetic leg ulcers can potentially become severely infected and even lead to death. If you've been diagnosed with diabetic leg ulcers but have difficulty reaching your legs or caring for yourself due to mobility problems or another issue, here's what you should know.
What Needs to Be Done
Every single person will receive a slightly different diagnosis, so this may not 100% apply to you, but likely most of it will. For most people with diabetic ulcers, antibiotics and ointments can help the ulcers to close. Then, binding is necessary in order to protect anything from getting into the ulcers while they're still open and seeping or bleeding. From there, your doctor may want you to wear medical stockings to help squeeze excess water out of your legs, which will help the skin to heal and will make it easier for your heart, as well.
Why They're So Dangerous
Diabetic leg ulcers are dangerous particularly because they have a high risk of infection. Anything that comes into contact with your legs or feet can potentially infect the ulcers, which if left untreated, can actually lead to necessary amputation. To make matters worse, many people with diabetes have weakened immune systems that don't work as well as they should. This can make it harder for your body to fight off severe infections that develop. Leaving your legs untreated raises your risk of infection, and the ulcers are likely to only get worse.
What to Do
If you can't care for your own legs, what are you to do? Well, this is where home health care comes in. Home health care is usually provided either by a doctor or a registered nurse. Your health provider will come by as often as is necessary for your treatment and will take care of your legs for you. This includes washing them, drying them, applying the ointment and bandages, and even putting on and removing the stockings as necessary. This not only takes the burden off of you, but it also reduces the risk that a severe infection develops. Your nurse or doctor will be examining your legs whenever they visit, so if there are signs of a problem they'll be caught early on.
Diabetic leg ulcers shouldn't be neglected or ignored. If you need help, reach out and get it, rather than letting your health be on the line.