My mother, who is 72, has had diabetes for about a year now and has developed a diabetic ulcer. We have taken her to the doctor, but the ulcer keeps on growing and has not been cured. She is also in a lot of pain.

Professor Harry Seftel replies:

This is quite a common problem in diabetics especially if they're not properly controlled. Diabetics can develop an ulcer for a variety of reasons - for instance, diabetes can damage the blood vessels and cause interference in the blood supply.

Diabetes can also damage the nerves, as well as make the skin more liable to infection. It's important that you don't leave this, and take her back to the hospital as soon as possible so that they can reassess her condition.