Diabetes is a disease that makes it difficult for your body to produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows your body to turn glucose or sugar into energy. If your body shows resistance to metabolize glucose, it can lead to high blood sugar levels. This makes your body’s efficient to heal wounds. People with diabetes are saved from any kind of injuries or damages because of their body’s inefficiency to heal wounds. Although cuts, scratches, and blisters can occur anywhere on the body, the feet are the most common and challenging place for a diabetic patient to get a wound. Small damage on the feet can quickly be changed into a foot ulcer, leading to many complications.
When you have diabetes, there are several reasons why your wound healing capability will get slower. One of the many reasons is the high blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels are higher than usual, it prevents nutrients and oxygen from energizing cells. It also prevents your immune system from functioning efficiently. It increases your body cell’s inflammation. These all slow down the healing process in your body and make it hard for you to recover a wound.
Poor circulation is also one of the reasons for having a slow wound healing process. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop the peripheral vascular disease, a medical condition for lower circulation. The peripheral vascular disease causes your blood vessels to narrow, which reduces blood flow to the limbs. This condition also affects red blood cells’ ability to pass through the definitely. A higher-than-normal blood glucose level upsurges blood’s thickness, affecting the body’s blood drift even more.
Consider watching this video to know more about what is diabetes….
Many people who have diabetes have many problems with their immune system activation, which leads to slower wound healing ability. The number of immune system fighter cells sent to heal wounds and their ability to take action against it is often decreased. When your immune system is weaker, you would have higher chances of catching diseases or infections. When your immune system is not working best, it struggles to fight bacteria off, which causes infection. High blood sugar levels also increase the possibility of having diseases. If your conditions are left untreated, they may also lead to complications such as gangrene or sepsis.
Diabetes or high blood sugar can cause nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy incurs tingling and numbness in the body, which will make it more challenging if you’re injured. Suppose you have experienced an injury, an object in your shoes was cutting your foot, you may not feel it at the moment. As a result, the wound will intensify internally, leading to a more significant issue than what it would have been if you were a healthy person. That’s why checking and monitoring your body every now is essential for keeping yourself healthy after encountering diabetes. People with diabetes should keep their toenails trimmed and small, wear comfortable shoes that do not form cuts or blisters on their feet.
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you need to take extra care of yourself and use specific strategies to eliminate any dangers for wounds or injuries. These include managing your blood sugar level through foot care and treating wounds as soon as they incur. Appropriate foot care includes washing your foot daily, patting the skin dry before applying a moisturizer, avoid walking barefoot. You should be a lot more careful while cutting your toenails; wear comfortable shoes. Have routine checkups from your doctor, specifically for feet, on each visit.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!