Gauging Pressure Wounds in Your Feet and Ankles (and Who Should Be Concerned)

Pressure wounds in all their many forms can be challenging injuries. In the form of bedsores, they can become chronic and painful injuries for the elderly or sick. For people with certain preexisting health conditions, namely diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD), pressure wounds in the feet can turn into very serious developments.

Now we want you to consider this: more than 40 million Americans have diabetes and about 15% of people with diabetes will develop a related foot, ankle, or leg wound, including diabetic ulcers and pressure wounds. As well, 20 million Americans have PAD and the same heightened risks for troublesome lower leg wounds apply. Combined, these two groups make up the majority of amputations, and this result can stem from something as small as a pressure wound.

To offset your risks for infection and amputation, it’s important that you recognize a potential problematic pressure wound on your foot, ankle, or lower leg. To help with this, we turn to the vastly experienced wound care team at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County, which is led by board-certified wound specialist Dr. Thomas Rambacher.

Pressure wounds in your lower legs

A pressure wound is one in which continuous pressure is placed on an area that slowly breaks down the skin barrier. The most common type of pressure wound is one that develops on people who are bedridden and the problem typically shows up as a bedsore around their tailbones.

Pressure wounds can also strike other areas, such as your feet, heels, and ankles, especially if you wear shoes that create friction. 

For people with diabetes or PAD, they might not even notice these small pressure wounds, especially if they have peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage, that leads to a loss of sensation. And about half of diabetics develop peripheral neuropathy.

The reason why we’re concerned about this is when you don’t notice a wound, it can get worse very quickly, especially if you have poor blood flow to your feet, which are the hallmarks of PAD and diabetes. That leaves you more open to infection, which can spread and threaten the entire area.

Recognizing pressure wounds in your lower legs

Now let’s look at this issue from a more productive angle by reviewing the four stages of pressure wounds. Armed with this knowledge, you can better identify when you should seek help for your wound.

Stage 1

No skin has broken yet, but there's an area of skin that might appear a little darker. It can look reddish or even bluish, like a bruise. You might also sense some heat in the area.

Stage 2

The skin forms a blister or breaks open and becomes more painful.

Stage 3

The wound becomes deeper and larger and there are often dark edges around the wound. You might also find skin called slough covering the wound, which is often slimy and discolored. At this point, a pressure wound in this stage is hard to ignore as the pain can be great. That said, if you have neuropathy, you might not feel this pain.

Stage 4

The infection spreads to nearby tissues, including bone, which places you at far greater risk for amputation as a way to contain the infection.

Getting help for your pressure wound

Working backward, you can avoid this unfortunate cascade of events if you make sure to inspect your feet daily for signs of pressure wounds. Remember, even a blister can end up as a stage four pressure wound, so be vigilant in monitoring your lower legs.

The bottom line is that any open wound around your lower legs and feet is cause for concern, so we want you to come see us for preventive care. To get that ball rolling, you can call our office in Mission Viejo, California, at 949-832-6018 or request an appointment online today.