Are you living with diabetes? Then you already know that the condition demands constant vigilance. You keep an eye on your blood sugar, watch what you eat, and make an effort to stay active.
“Sometimes, even if you’ve done everything by the book, something as small as a new shoe blister or a gardening cut can become a real headache.”
You’ve been through all those ointments, haven’t you? You’ve really done a great job keeping that wound clean. You’ve been watching it for weeks, maybe even months, just waiting for it to finally close off. But it just hangs around; it doesn’t really get better. Every time you change that dressing, it’s just there. It just doesn’t want to cooperate, does it?
If this rings a bell for you, you’re definitely not alone. When we talk about diabetic wounds, especially those on our feet, they can really be tough to deal with. But there is a solution: hyperbaric oxygen wound therapy (HBOT).
How to identify a non-healing diabetic wound. What are the symptoms?
Diabetic foot wounds that are difficult to heal are generally caused by some minor issues, like a small blister or a tiny cut, and with diabetes, these wounds persist. And the worst thing is that in diabetes, people do not usually feel the pain, and they can’t even tell when the wound gets worse. This is due to diabetic neuropathy; people generally lose sensation in areas like the feet and hands because they are the nerve endings.
Some of the key symptoms you should look for:
- The wound remains the same size and refuses to shrink
- The area around the wound gets red or increases the swelling.
- A pus-like fluid and a smell are coming out of the wound.
- Skin around the wound turns black, and the skin texture becomes hard.
- And the wound refuses to close; it reopens constantly.
What causes a diabetic foot wound not to heal?
Diabetes, as we know, is really difficult to deal with. When blood sugar stays high for too long, it can really mess with blood vessels. And when that happens, damaged tissues dont get the oxygen and important nutrients they need to heal. “When perfusion is compromised, it just means the body can’t really make new blood vessels or healthy granulation tissue as well as it should.”
When someone has diabetic peripheral neuropathy, they might not feel things in their feet as well as they should. This means they might not notice small injuries from walking around or wearing shoes that don’t fit right. Because they don’t feel the pain, these little injuries can get worse without them even knowing it. High blood sugar levels hinder your immune system, making your body slower to react to inflammation and less effective at fighting off infections with its white blood cells. You often see things in people with diabetes that make healing tough, like problems with their arteries, their bodies not making collagen well, and inflammation that just won’t quit. Put it all together, and it creates a situation where wounds just don’t want to close up.
“Really, it’s more than just slow healing with diabetic wounds; it’s that the diabetes messes with the very ways our body mends itself.”
When to Seek Professional Help:
If you have diabetes and have a wound on your foot that has not improved significantly after two to four weeks of proper care, it is important to seek the attention of a specialist as soon as possible. You should also seek immediate medical attention if you observe the signs like increasing redness, swelling, warmth, purulent discharge, fever, chills, and the presence of black tissue.
Even if the wound does not hurt (due to neuropathy), these signs may be symptoms of increasing infections that may have reached the bone, known as osteomyelitis.
A wound care specialist will be able to accurately determine the stages of the wound, also known as the Wagner classification, as well as the presence of adequate blood flow and the level of glucose control.
What are the treatment options for diabetic foot wounds?
As far as treating a non-healing diabetic wound goes, there isn’t a straightforward answer, as it seems to be a combination of different steps. Firstly, the wound must be taken care of, which includes keeping the area clean and protected.
If the wound is infected, then that also must be taken care of, which might involve medication.
Another important factor in the healing process, as previously mentioned, is keeping the blood sugars in check, as without that, the process can be slowed down regardless of the steps taken.
Another factor that can help in the healing process, especially in diabetic foot ulcers, is reducing pressure on the affected area, which might involve changing shoes or avoiding certain activities.
Lastly, as previously mentioned, advanced therapies are also used for wounds that aren’t responding as expected.
Where does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) fit in?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used as the adjective treatment option for the diabetic foot wound. Which means it is used as an extra add-on treatment for a wound that is not healing along with the basic treatment. HBOT is a treatment where a patient is kept in a chamber filled with pure 100% oxygen at a high pressure.
Once inside the chamber, The higher pressure allows your lungs to absorb much larger amounts of oxygen than is possible when breathing normal air. This oxygen-rich blood is then carried deep into the tissues of the foot even into areas where diabetes has damaged small blood vessels and reduced normal blood flow.
For people with diabetes, this extra oxygen delivers several important benefits: it stimulates the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), helps white blood cells fight infection more effectively, reduces tissue swelling, and gives the cells responsible for healing the energy they need to close the wound.
HBOT is typically recommended for diabetic foot ulcers that remain open after 4-6 weeks of optimal standard treatment, especially deeper wounds or those with signs of poor tissue oxygenation. It does not replace blood sugar control, offloading, or regular dressings; it works together with them to overcome the specific healing barriers created by diabetes. A full course usually consists of 20 to 40 sessions, each lasting about 90 minutes. Most patients find the sessions comfortable and relaxing.
Conclusion:
Dealing with diabetes is not easy. It already requires daily challenge, and a non-healing foot wound can certainly be a significant added burden on a patient’s life. The good news, however, is that With the appropriate management of glycemic control, off-loading, dressings, and adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy for diabetic wounds, many diabetic patients with resistant wounds can achieve complete healing of their wounds and self-confidence in mobility and life in general.
If you or someone you care about is dealing with a non-healing diabetic wound, don’t wait for it to worsen. The experienced team at TenMed Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine is ready to understand your situation and determine whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be the right addition to your treatment plan.
Schedule a consultation today
FAQ’s
Ques 1. How many HBot sessions are usually required?
Ans. The number of sessions depends on the condition of the wound. Some patients may need around 20 sessions, while more complex wounds may require 30–40 sessions for effective healing.
Ques 2. Can a diabetic non-healing wound heal without advanced care like HBOT treatments?
Ans. In some cases, yes. However, if the wound does not improve with proper care and control of blood sugars and infections, special treatments like HBOT may be required.
Ques 3. What are the possible complications that can arise from a diabetic wound if left untreated?
Ans. If a diabetic wound is left untreated, it can become worse over time, leading to severe infections, damage, or even complications that may require surgical procedures. The best way to handle a diabetic wound is daily cae and early treatment.
