When Is It Time to Consider Wound Healing Help?

A wound to any part of your body can be a serious health event. Did you know that wounds to your feet and ankles are often more difficult to heal?

At Town Center Foot & Ankle of Kingwood, Texas, we’re taking time this June to recognize Wound Healing Awareness Month. 

Our experienced foot and ankle care team, under the leadership of board-certified podiatrist Dr. Stephen G. Eichelsdorfer (“Dr. Ike”), is here to provide you with knowledgeable and compassionate wound healing support. 

The right treatment reduces complications and improves your eventual outcome. Do you need wound healing help?

Foot and ankle wounds that need wound healing help

Wounds to your feet or ankles happen for a variety of reasons. Simply stubbing a toe can cause a wound. Stepping on glass or other sharp objects may cause foot wounds. Even trimming your toenails in the wrong way can break the skin around the nail bed, creating a wound that can become infected.

Healing foot and ankle wounds poses some extra challenges, more so than wounds to other parts of your body. 

For one thing, you may need to rest in order to avoid putting pressure on your feet, so the injury isn’t aggravated. It’s a lot easier to walk around with a wound on your hand than it is with a lower body injury.

In the case of foot and ankle wounds, gravity works against you. Your blood contains red blood cells, which are essential to the healing process. By the time your circulatory system pushes blood all the way down to your lower body, healing may not be as effective. 

For that reason, you may need extra support to heal. That’s especially true if you’re living with a health condition like diabetes or heart disease.

Signs that it’s time to reach out for wound healing care

When is it safe to let wounds heal on their own and when should you reach out for professional medical attention? Here are some signs that you need wound healing treatment.

Take wound healing more seriously as you age. Seniors often heal less rapidly than younger people and suffer more health complications from going through overly long wound healing. 

You should also be more cautious about foot and ankle wounds if you have diabetes, as nerve damage can reduce your ability to notice injuries or deterioration.

If you have an open wound, seek medical attention and wound healing support if the wound is slow to heal or seems to be getting worse. Watch for warning signs of infection like redness, inflammation, or leaking pus. 

If you start to run a fever, or if the wound feels warm to the touch, reach out for medical care. Throbbing pain may also signal a wound that needs healing support.

Without the right treatment, an untreated wound can spread infection throughout your body, causing serious medical problems. Slow-to-heal wounds also limit your mobility and tax your physical health and wellness.

At Town Center Foot & Ankle, we support wound healing with treatments and therapies like debridement, antimicrobial medications, and expertly applied wrappings and dressings. We provide you with instructions for at-home wound care. 

If needed, we can even design custom orthotics to support your foot or ankle and redistribute pressure away from the injured area of your body.

For expert wound healing help, contact Dr. Ike and our team at Town Center Foot & Ankle without delay. Request an appointment online  today.