As someone diagnosed with diabetes, your blood sugar and eyesight aren’t your only concerns. In fact, did you know that those diagnosed with diabetes are also more likely to experience slower wound healing and care? Typical issues with diabetic wounds involve their feet, but not always. This can cause issues with wounds anywhere on the body, and it’s especially important to know for upcoming surgeries. Here are some of the ways diabetes can impact your body’s healing process and how you can reduce your risk of serious complications.
How Does Diabetes Impact The Healing Process
When your blood sugar levels are above a certain level, it can impact how well your body functions. Your blood sugar can impact:
- How quickly a wound heals
- Your body developing nerve damage
- Blood circulation around your body
- How your immune system performs
- The rate of infection in wounds
This is why taking care of your glucose levels and monitoring your body is critical for diabetics. Leaving your blood sugar levels higher than normal and sustaining wounds can prove to be detrimental. One wound left untreated can become seriously infected.
What Are Diabetics Most At Risk For
Foot Ulcers
Those diagnosed with diabetes are at risk of developing foot ulcers. According to studies, 1 in 4 diabetics will develop foot ulcers over time. Why is this? Well, due to high blood sugar and the complications we discussed previously, diabetics may not notice foot injuries right away. If you can’t feel the damage being done to your feet due to neuropathy (nerve damage), you won’t seek treatment to prevent infection.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage occurs when high blood sugar levels mess with your nerves’ abilities to send pain signals to the brain. Poor blood circulation can also worsen this symptom. Those diagnosed with nerve damage will often feel a burning or tingling sensation in their extremities (hands, arms, legs and feet).
Signs Of A Serious Wound
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, please watch for these signs of a serious wound:
- Pain or cramping in your legs, thighs, or calves during physical activities
- Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet
- A lessened or inability feel hot or cold sensations
- Change in foot shape over time
- Hair loss on your toes, legs and feet
- Dry, cracked skin on your feet
- Color and temperature changes in your feet
- Thickened, yellow toenails
- Fungus infections between your toes
- A blister, sore, ulcer, infected corn, or ingrown toenail
What To Do For Serious Wounds
The best course of action you can take for diabetic wound care is preventative care. If you notice any of these signs and symptoms, please seek immediate wound care.
You can read more about CCMH’s Podiatry services and diabetes in a previous blog. We discuss ways to check and treat your feet before ulcers become an issue.
Comanche County Memorial Hospital also offers Diabetes Education services and Wound Care services. Our staff would love to help you take control of your diabetes. If you believe you may be suffering from an infected diabetic wound, please contact our Wound Care services before your condition worsens.
Disclaimer
The Comanche County Memorial Hospital website does not provide specific medical advice for individual cases. Comanche County Memorial Hospital does not endorse any medical or professional services obtained through information provided on this site, articles on the site or any links on this site.
Use of the information obtained by the Comanche County Memorial Hospital website does not replace medical advice given by a qualified medical provider to meet the medical needs of our readers or others.
While content is frequently updated, medical information changes quickly. Information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. For questions or concerns, please contact us at contact@ccmhhealth.com.
Sources.
Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/healthy-feet.html
Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/diabetes-and-wound-healing#tips-to-improvehealing
Medical News Today.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320739#causes
US National Library of Medicine; National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5761954/