Dealing with Wounds For People with Diabetes

Wounds are a serious matter especially for people with diabetes. If not cared properly, it can be infected and result to more serious complications. Worse, it can lead to gangrened skin and amputation. It is of common knowledge that diabetics heal their wounds very slowly. In fact, for the non-diabetics, a slow-healing wound can be an alarming sign that they already have diabetes. In diabetes and non-diabetics, avoiding wounds and giving them extra care if they already exist, is of extreme importance.

Diabetics are more susceptible to infection since blood circulation is poor, leading to slower healing of wounds. People with diabetes tend to have neuropathy or numbness and vascular disease or hardening of the arteries. It is important to diabetic persons to thoroughly check their feet and hands for cuts, cracks or injuries to prevent infections and see to it that wounds can be healed immediately.

We may notice that the skins of diabetic people are dry, itchy and easily injured. This makes the skin to crack easily, inviting germs and bacteria to get into the cracks, feed on the glucose and get infected. Infections that are not treated quickly can lead to gangrened skin that may require amputation.

Avoid having wounds

For people with diabetes, avoiding wounds is a must since it can be harder to manage. Keep your skin thoroughly clean at all times especially the parts on the feet. Make sure it does not come in contact with things and objects that can cause damage and infection. Regularly moisturizing the skin is also recommended to prevent dry skin and cracks. Do monitor your skin for cracks and dry patches. If you find them, treat them with antibiotic ointment and bandage them if necessary.

What to do with infected wounds

If the wound is already present, give it extra care to avoid infection. Better consult a doctor before it becomes infected. Some of the signs that it is infected are when the wound becomes red, swollen, has a foul odor and if the skin around it is warm compared to the other areas. Infections, especially with those having diabetes can affect the control of the blood sugar and can lead to serious complications.

For cuts and scrapes, clean them thoroughly especially the open skin area and remove any dirt or debris. Use a good antiseptic wash to relieve pain and fight germs. Try sterile gauze pads or a clean wound to wipe the cut. It can also help remove dirt and possible germs that the wound may have come in contact with. You may secure the pads in place with a gauze wrap to seal out germs and dirt.