Diabetic Rick Green didn't realize how serious his wound on his foot was because at first he really wasn't feeling any pain from it. "I had a diabetic ulcer for roughly four years actually. In my case, I thought it was a regular blister and it just didn't heal."

It's not uncommon for diabetics like Rick to have an ulcer on their foot and not feel any pain.

Dr. Robert P. Casola, an Orthopedic Surgeon and Wound Care Specialist at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center explains, "They will come in and say, Doc, I've only been aware of this for a week, and when you look at it you know the wounds been there probably 4 to 5 weeks."

Diabetics need to be sure they're checking their bodies, especially their feet, for any wounds.

Dr. Casola warns, "Once a diabetic gets a hole in their foot it becomes very difficult to deal with. There's a rule diabetics should check their feet everyday before they go to bed."

Treating wounds that won't heal with techniques used at wound care centers can decrease the chances of serious infections from setting in and can even help you save a limb.

Dr. John Bishop, Director of the Hyperbaric Wound Care Center at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center adds, "If you're a diabetic and you get a wound you better be very careful who you see, how it's taken care."

It's also a good idea if you're a diabetic, not to be walking around barefoot.

Leg and foot problems are the most common reason for diabetes-related hospitalization, and diabetes is the leading cause for amputation in the lower leg and foot.