Annai Arul Hospital celebrated International Women’s day on 8th March 2019. To show that woman are physically fit to be a warrior; Zumba fitness programme was conducted for the female employees, attenders and patients. As an act of showcasing the mental and physical fitness, arm wrestling competition was conducted for all the women gathered and prizes were given to the winners.
Diabetic patients usually experience the sudden eruption of blisters on their skin, these are called diabetic blisters. The blisters look alarming when first spotted but they are painless and normally heal on their own, leaving no scars. Diabetic blisters are twice more likely to be found in men than women.
Where does it appear?
Diabetic blisters more often appear on the legs, feets and toes. They rarely are seen on hands, fingers and arms. Diabetic blisters can range from as large as 6 cm to micro ones. Diabetic blisters always appear in clusters, and the area around the blisters is not usually swollen or reddish.
Types of Treatment
Diabetic ulcers usually last for two to five weeks and heal by themselves without any treatment or intervention. The fluid in the blister is sterile, and to prevent infection one should not puncture the blister by him/herself.
Blisters can be treated with antibiotic cream or ointment and bandaged properly to protect them from further injuries. Topical creams are recommended depending on symptoms. Taking care of oneself and keeping away from sugar levels under check will help in avoiding blisters.
Causes of diabetic blisters
The exact cause for diabetic blisters is not yet found. Wearing shoes that don’t fit, and fungal infection are the main causes. If the blood sugar levels are out of control then one may get diabetic blisters. People who have diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage that reduces sensitivity to pain are more prone to diabetic blisters.
How to prevent diabetic blisters?
It is always important to take care of your skin if you are diabetic. Blisters and lesions may not give any pain and go unnoticed if a person is neuropathic. Here are a few ways to prevent blisters and secondary infections.
Inspect the feet thoroughly every day ideally before bed.
Wear proper fitting shoes and socks to prevent injury.
Wear gloves when using scissors or hand tools etc.
Most importantly strict diabetes control the crucial step in preventing diabetic blisters.
Athlete’s foot is also known as Tinea Pedis, it is a contagious fungal infection that affects the skin on the feet. It can quickly spread to other parts especially the toenails and the hands. This is commonly called Athlete’s foot because predominantly the infection is seen in athletes.
It is not a serious disease or condition but at times it becomes very stubborn and is not easily cured. If the patient has diabetes or a weakened immune system, then Athlete’s foot can be a very serious problem and requires a doctor’s attention immediately.
What causes Athlete’s foot?
Dermatophytic fungus readily grows on the feet and causes Athlete’s foot. The infection is easily caught when there is a contact with an infected person or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus. The fungus grows in warm and moist conditions. It is contacted that is more commonly from bathrooms, locker rooms and around swimming pools.
Who is at risk?
Athlete’s foot is so common that anyone can get it irrespective of age, sex or region. But there are certain habits and behaviours that increase the chance of contracting the disease.
Factors that increase the risk:
Being barefoot and visiting places barefoot, especially public toilets, showers, and swimming pools or sports locker rooms.
Sharing an infected person’s towels, shoes etc.
When you wear very tight fitting and closed toe shoes
When the feet is not dried and kept moist for long periods.
What are the symptoms of Athlete’s foot?
There are many possible symptoms for athlete’s foot and this may include:
What are the treatment options for athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot condition is better treated with topical with or without oral by a trained dermatologist after taking required tests. Home care can be done by soaking cleaned and dried feet in salt water or vinegar, which helps in drying blisters and care should be taken to keep the feet and web spaces clean and dry.
Everyone should get a flu vaccination every year, is what flu experts are recommending. Each year the vaccine is decided based on the strains of influenza virus that are expected to be widespread that season. Flu shots are available at all leading hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices.
Tetanus Vaccine
Bacteria that causes tetanus enters the body through a wound or cut. Tetanus leads to severe muscle spasms, stiffness and lockjaw
with inability to open your mouth or swallow. Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) is a one-time vaccine and Td (tetanus-diphtheria) every 10 years is all that you need to prevent it. Pregnant mother should receive 2 dose if not previously immunized.
Prevent Chicken-Pox
You can avoid chickenpox (varicella) with some precautions. But still you can get it by being in a room with someone who has it.
Usually adults with chickenpox have a higher risk of complications, hospitalisation and death. Varicella infection is more severe in a pregnant woman and it can be a medical emergency. Chickenpox infection also puts a person at risk of shingles and the chickenpox vaccine offers some protection against it too.
HPV Vaccine
HPV vaccines protect men and women against strains of papillomavirus before sexual exposure. The virus causes cervical cancers in women and throat cancers in men. Some available HPV vaccines also protects against genital warts in both sexes. The virus occurs due to sexual contact.
Protect from Meningitis
Usually young adults who live in college dorms, travelers to certain areas and those who stay in military camps are prone to be affected with meningitis since it spreads fast through such over crowd communities. They should get vaccinated against meningococcal disease which is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Each year a lot of people die around the world due to meningitis. Those who don’t die suffer from brain damage or hearing loss.
Protect from Hepatitis
Hepatitis virus can affect you without even knowing about it. The risk factors of hepatitis A include consuming contaminated food and water. An infected person may spread it by not washing hands after going to the toilet. Hepatitis B spread by contact of blood or body fluid from the infected person. Sharing needles during drug use is also another reason and same sex practice. Hepatitis B can lead to serious damage and even death. Consult your doctor for a Hepatitis shot. Hepatitis A : 2 dose 6-12
Months apart; Hepatatis B – 3 dose
Similarly protect yourself with vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella or pneumococcus which causes.
Streptococcus Pneumonia : Recommended for younger people with chronic medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, renal failure, sickle cell anaemia, usually given once> 65 years of age.
There is a lifetime risk of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes type 1 and 2. Diabetic foot ulcers are the cause for debilitating morbidity and mortality. It accounts for a large percentage of non-traumatic amputations performed every year in hospitals around India. Infected foot ulcers due to diabetes also account for many hospital admissions. All this point to the importance of proper care and management of diabetic foot ulcers in a timely manner.
Risk factors for diabetic foot
There are several risk factors and indicators for diabetic foot. Uncontrolled sugar levels, overweight body and lack of proper treatment. The loss of protective sensation due to neuropathy, prior ulcers or amputations, foot deformity and excess pressure, external trauma, infections, chronic ischemia and peripheral artery diseases are some of the indications of diabetic risk. The risk of non-healing of wounds due to mechanical factors are also of great concern and a cause for diabetic foot ulcers.
What are the symptoms of foot ulcers?
The first signs of a foot ulcer is drainage from the foot which might stain the socks or the footwear. There may occur some swelling, irritation, redness and a nauseating odour from one or both feet and all these may indicate a foot ulcer. The most visible sign though may be the black tissue which surrounds the ulcer. The tissue turn black because there is no healthy blood flow to the area and results in partial or complete gangrene, which is tissue death due to infection. There may be odorous discharge, pain and numbness in the feet.
Sometimes there may be no sign of foot ulcers until the ulcer has been really infected. You should see a doctor if you see a discolouration in your feet or feel any pain around an area that is callused or irritates.
What are the type of ulcers?
The doctor will identify the ulcers and their seriousness based on a predermined scale of 0 – 3 as follows:
0 – No ulcer but foot will be at risk of getting one in the near future
1 – Ulcer is present but not infected yet
2 – The ulceration has begun and it is deep, exposing the joints and the tendons
3 – Serious ulcer with extensive infection and abscesses
Management and treatment of foot ulcers
Treatment of diabetic foot ulcers requires good management and control. It all begins with control of diabetes or sugar levels and management of other contributing factors like hypertension, hyperlipedemia and heart disease if any. Weight management also has a great impact on controlling the progress of the ulcer. Yet another aspect is the control of renal problems like renal insufficiency, arterial insufficiency, treatment of would infections and offloading of the ulcer followed by appropriate and continuous wound care.