Diabetes increases the risk of gangrene in a number of ways, including decreased wound healing and decreased sensation in the feet. Amputations are uncommon in cases of gangrene, but they still require quick care.
You run a higher chance of getting gangrene if you have diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels have the potential to harm your nerves, leading to a loss of feeling in the affected area. This may facilitate the occurrence of an injury in you.
The disease known as gangrene is brought on by the death of body tissue. When blood flow to a part of the body is interrupted, this can occur. A skin or soft tissue injury or infection is frequently the cause of gangrene.
Blood arteries and the amount of blood that reaches your feet can both be impacted by high blood sugar. This sets off a series of events. Less immune-fighting cells are reaching your feet if there is inadequate circulation in them. Any wound you sustain may take longer to heal if there aren’t enough of these cells in the area. Additionally, wounds have a higher risk of infection.
Read Also: Why Heart Disease Risk Is Increased by Diabetes
What is meant by gangrene?
Usually, gangrene attacks the fingers, limbs, and toes. It is less prevalent, although it can also harm your muscles or organs. Skin discoloration, numbness, and abnormal pus or discharge production are the main symptoms of this illness.
Should you become gangrenous, you should get medical help right away. To get rid of the dead tissue and stop the bacteria from entering your bloodstream, you need to get urgent care. Gangrene can result in a potentially fatal illness if treatment is not received.
Additional risk variables to think about
If you have an underlying medical condition that affects your circulation, you are more likely to develop gangrene. Diabetes is one of the many illnesses that can raise your risk because it affects the blood vessels. Additional prerequisites consist of:
- peripheral vascular illness
- atherosclerosis
- The Raynaud Effect
You are also at a higher risk of getting gangrene if you have recently undergone surgery or suffered a serious accident.
In patients with compromised immune systems, minor infections can also worsen and result in gangrene. Inadequate immune systems may result from:
- diabetes
- chemotherapy
- HIV
- inadequate nourishment
- renal failure
- being more than sixty years old
Varieties of gangrene
Gangrene comes in a variety of forms, and each has a unique etiology.
Dry gangrene
When blood flow is restricted in a particular part of the body, this form may develop. Your body uses your blood to transport oxygen to various places. For your organs to live, oxygen is necessary. A component of your body may degenerate and even die if it isn’t receiving oxygen from your blood.
The impacted region is frequently identified by a deep green, purple, or nearly black hue. The absence of oxygen can cause the skin to become dry and wrinkled.
Wet gangrene
As implied by its name, wet gangrene seems wet. This kind is characterized by swelling and blisters. People who suffer from severe burns or frostbite are more likely to develop wet gangrene.
Individuals who have diabetes may unintentionally sustain a minor foot or toe injury that leads to moist gangrene. People with diabetes often have less blood flowing to their extremities.
This indicates that the tissue in certain locations cannot mend as rapidly. Infection can therefore spread more quickly. If left untreated, wet gangrene can spread swiftly and prove lethal.
Gas gangrene
This kind typically results from a deep-seated infection in the body. Gas released by harmful bacteria damages blood vessels, tissue, and cells.
After recent surgery or trauma, a region may develop gas gangrene. You can get skin edema and a brownish-red complexion. Your skin may appear “bubbly” as a result of the gas.
Because it can strike abruptly and without warning, gas gangrene is an extremely dangerous kind of the disease.
Internal gangrene
When blood supply to an internal organ is obstructed, internal gangrene may result. The appendix, gallbladder, and intestines are frequently affected by this. Should this happen, you can feel excruciating pain and heat.
Fournier’s gangrene
Only the genital organs can be affected by this type of gangrene. It is brought on by an infection in the genitalia or urinary tract. In the vaginal area, this is frequently characterized by discomfort, swelling, and overall tenderness. The tissue frequently smells awful and looks purple, green, or sometimes black. Fournier’s gangrene is usually a male condition, however it can also strike women.
Bacterial synergistic progressive gangrene
One procedure or operation may cause this uncommon kind of gangrene to develop. After your surgery, skin lesions may appear one to two weeks later in the vicinity of the affected area.
How does one diagnose gangrene?
In addition to reviewing your medical history, your doctor will complete a quick physical examination. Make sure your physician is aware of any recent trauma, wounds, or injuries you may have experienced. These might be the origin of the illness. Once your doctor has talked to you about your symptoms, one or more laboratory tests will probably be ordered.
If your white blood cell count is greater than usual, blood testing might help you find out. This can be a sign of an infection. An arteriogram is a type of imaging test that looks at your arteries to identify any blockages in the blood flow.
Where gangrene has spread can be determined by other imaging techniques such an MRI, CT scan, or X-ray. You might require a surgical check to confirm your diagnosis if internal gangrene is suspected.
How does one treat gangrene?
It’s critical to remove the affected tissue as soon as possible if you have gangrene. By doing this, the gangrene may be kept from spreading to other bodily areas.
A debridement could be done by your doctor. This calls for the damaged tissue to be surgically removed. In order to fix any faults left behind after debridement and to restore the damage caused by gangrene, your doctor might additionally advise a skin graft.
One type of reconstructive surgery is a skin graft. The injured skin is replaced with healthy skin that has been taken from an unremarkable location of the body.
Antibiotics are essential for the prevention of infection. Your doctor may advise amputating the foot, toe, finger, or other infected area in severe circumstances.
Strategies to avoid gangrene
You can take a number of steps to lower your chance of getting gangrene. You should frequently examine your hands and feet for lesions or indications of infection if you have diabetes.
Generally speaking, you can lower your risk by:
- being mindful of your weight. Being overweight might put excessive strain on your arteries. This may impede blood flow, raising the possibility of infection.
- putting on weather-appropriate clothing. In the winter, it’s crucial to stay warm. Renal gangrene can result from frostbite. You should get medical help if your skin appears unusually pale, chilly, or numb after being in the cold.
- Giving up smoking. Tobacco usage over an extended period of time damages blood vessels and increases the risk of gangrene.
Be the first to comment on "Diabetes and Gangrene: Understand the Facts"