The nerve damage often can occur without pain and one may not even be aware of the problem. 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. 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. Being overweight and using alcohol and tobacco also play a role in the development of foot 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. Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and older men are more likely to develop ulcers. Who Can Get a Diabetic Foot Ulcer?Īnyone who has diabetes can develop a foot ulcer. Research, however, has shown that the development of a foot ulcer is preventable. Of those who develop a foot ulcer, six percent will be hospitalized due to infection or other ulcer-related complication.ĭiabetes is the leading cause of nontraumatic 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.
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.
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