Visiting An Ankle Doctor Vs. Visiting An Ankle Doctor When You Have Diabetes: Why It's Different
Anytime someone has a problem with a hurt ankle, they schedule an appointment to see his or her family doctor. If the problem is much more severe and there is clearly bruising, swelling, and cuts with heavy bleeding, these same people go to the emergency room. Yet, when you have diabetes, it is an entirely different scenario, regardless of the severity of the issue with your ankle. If you are going to visit an ankle doctor when you have diabetes, you should visit a specialist instead of seeing a general physician. Here are some of the problems people with diabetes encounter that require a special doctor and why their situation is different from that of someone without diabetes.
Swelling in the Ankle
Swelling in the ankle, sans bruising, pain, and obvious broken bones, can be one of two things. Either there is some soft tissue damage, like a sprain or strain, or there is edema. For edema, most doctors would just tell you to back off on consuming salt and soft drinks for a few days to let your circulatory system clear the fluid. For people with diabetes, your circulatory system does not work as efficiently or as effectively anymore. Ergo, your specialist doctor will still tell you to back off salt and soft drinks, but he or she will also give you pills to flush the excess fluids and increase your exercise to work the fluids out of the ankles.
If the swelling is the result of soft tissue damage, your doctor will just tell you to ice the area and keep the ankle elevated for a few days. That same advice does not work on people with diabetes because their bodies do not heal as quickly. Instead, you will probably go home from your doctor's office with an air splint or an immobilization boot that you will have to wear for a few weeks.
Sores on Your Ankle
Your feet exist to carry you about, striking whatever is on the ground. As a result, your ankles may encounter some cuts or sores at some point in your life. The average person goes to the doctor, gets the wound cleaned, and has a bandage put on it. He or she may also receive a couple of stitches if the wound is deep enough. However, for a person with diabetes, any sores or cuts are not going to heal properly. They have to be thoroughly cleaned, kept clean, and bandaged, and they will probably be stitched shut to prevent the rapid onset of infection.
For more information, go to an ankle care doctor.