Bone Infection: Avoid This Serious Condition ( Diabetes )
An infection inside a bone is called osteomyelitis. Having diabetes can predispose you to the condition, which often affects the feet. Good medical care, however, can help you avoid osteomyelitis, or identify it before it becomes a serious problem.
Have your feet examined every time you visit your doctor. If you have a foot ulcer, especially if it’s not healing well, he or she will probably check to see if you have osteomyelitis. First, your health care provider will want to examine your foot with an X-ray or scan to determine whether the nearby bones have been affected by the infection. (This is an important step because the treatments for bone infection and for soft tissue infection are different.) It is extremely difficult to heal foot ulcers over infected bone, and in some cases, surgery is necessary to remove the portions of bone that are affected.
If you have difficulty with your feet, talk to your health care team. Many serious problems like osteomyelitis are avoidable with routine care.
B-man 