Few people know about the effects of diabetes and how your body handles the disease. Diabetes can be treatable with the use of insulin, but there is no available cure for any form of the disease. Type 1 diabetes can only be treated with injected insulin and changes in diet and other lifestyle adjustments. Type 2 diabetes is managed with a combination of dietary treatment, supplements and insulin.

Diabetes can cause many complications, ranging from hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease and chronic renal failure. Another common complication is foot-related wounds called diabetic foot ulcers. Poor healing of wounds, particularly of the feet, can lead to gangrene and amputation of the affected toe or the infected area.

A diabetic foot ulcer is an open wound that commonly occurs at the bottom of the foot in approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes. They form due to a combination of factors, such as poor circulation, deformities, irritation and lack of feeling in the foot. Nerve damage is also caused by elevated blood glucose levels and the individual often will be unaware of the feeling or the problem.

Once diabetic foot ulcers are noticed, you should immediately seek podiatric medical care so as to reduce the risk of infection and amputation of the affected toe or area. There are five ways to appropriately treat foot ulcers. These include: prevention of foot ulcers, take pressure off of the area, remove dead skin and tissue, apply medication and dressings to the ulcer, and manage blood glucose levels and other health related issues.

There are also ways to keep an ulcer from becoming infected. These factors include keeping blood glucose levels under control, keeping the ulcer clean and bandaged, cleaning the wound daily and not walking around without shoes.