Diabetes is a condition where the pancreas either fails to produce sufficient insulin or not and sugar levels in the blood increase. This causes the destruction of blood vessels from reduced nitric oxide levels - a power vasodilator, thereby causing the arteries' narrowing and many conditions. For example, patients with diabetes have an increased risk of dementia, vascular disease, multiorgan failure, glaucoma, and loss of sight - and in terms of pf tissue viability, foot and leg ulcers could potentially lead to amputation.
The diabetic patient can spontaneously develop a foot ulcer; if a wound occurs for other reasons, they are notoriously difficult to heal. Furthermore, the risk of wound infections is increased in a diabetic person due to reduced blood supply to the wound bed. 5 to 7% of all diabetic patients have a foot ulcer, and almost 25% of diabetics develop a foot ulcer in their lifetime. A diabetic foot ulcer is a critical event in a diabetic patient's life, signifying severe health issues and overall well-being. Early wound care specialist intervention is key to preventing and wound care management of this potentially life-changing illness. The diabetic patient often develops neuropathy affecting sensory-motor and autonomic nerves. This often leads to diabetic foot ulcers being overlooked until they become saturated with exudate and become an infected wound, and the patient notes a malodor. Prevention is, therefore, much better than cure.
