Preventing Diabetic Foot Ulcers

April is Limb Loss Awareness Month, which was created by the American Diabetes Association.

The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at SBH Health System, which is the only one of its kind in the Bronx that combines wound healing and hyperbaric medicine in a single location, can help decrease the risk of infection and promote wound healing.  This is critical in the Bronx, where diabetes has reached epidemic proportions (and where there are more cases of diabetes than anywhere else in New York City).

Here are ways to prevent a diabetic foot ulcer:

• Check your feet daily and wash with a mild soap and warm water.
• Dry your feet well as moisture retained between toes can cause skin breakdown.
• Keep your feet from drying and cracking by regularly applying foot cream.
• Avoid tight fitting socks and shoes, and consider wearing a pair of athletic-style or custom-fitted shoes that don’t have pointy toes.

For more information, or to make an appointment, call the Center for Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at 718-960-5064.

To see a similar article, please visit the Bronx Times, page 54.