A foot ulcer is an open sore on your foot. Your skin tissue breaks down, causing a hole in the deeper layers of your skin. Ulcer size ranges from very small to larger than the size of a half-dollar.

Foot ulcers can be crater-like and deepen the longer they are left untreated.

Ulcers appear most often under your big toes and balls of your feet. Some ulcers are so small, you won’t notice them until they are infected. An early sign of infected ulcers is drainage stains on your socks.

Other symptoms include:

• Pain
• Discomfort
• Swelling
• Redness
• An unusual odor
• Irritation

Checking your feet daily for any changes helps you recognize a foot ulcer before infection sets in.

Poor circulation and diabetes are the most common causes of foot ulcers. Without healthy circulation of blood in your system, small cuts or scrapes don’t heal quickly enough, forming a foot ulcer.

Nerve damage decreases the feeling in your feet and can cause small sores from dry, cracked skin to go unnoticed until they turn into ulcers.

You can prevent foot ulcers in several ways, including:

• Foot baths
• Checking for cuts or scrapes daily
• Wearing shoes that fit well
• Trimming your toenails correctly, cutting straight across the nail instead of rounding the edges
• Avoiding smoking