If you discover a wound on your feet or ankles, it can be frightening. Depending on your health, you may not have even noticed you were injured.

There are many causes for concern if a wound is healing slower than normal. You are not only at risk for infection, but also a condition that is known as peripheral arterial disease or PAD.

During Diabetes Awareness Month, we want to share the importance of identifying and responding to non-healing wounds and how a Certified Wound Specialist is helpful during recovery.

If you have diabetes, here are three ways to increase your chances of winning against wounds.

Foot wounds and ulcers can be scary and can often occur with less than a moment’s notice. These moments after a wound or ulcer has formed are crucial to the healing process.

The best way to care for wounds is to stop them before they even form. There are a few easy ways you can stop wounds and ulcers from forming on your feet.

When blood can’t reach your feet, it becomes very challenging to fight off infections. That’s why the main goal of all diabetic foot care is preventing infections that could lead to amputations.

If you are a patient with diabetes, you should always have foot or ankle wounds assessed by your podiatrist. Infection can set in more rapidly for diabetic patients.

Wounds can be caused by traumas or accidents, from surgery, or can be associated with a disease or condition, like neuropathy or diabetes. Wounds are categorized as either acute or chronic.