Table of contents:
- The cause of diabetic wounds is difficult to heal
- 1. Impaired blood circulation
- 2. Weak endurance
- Tips for treating diabetes wounds so they don't get worse
- 1. Take care of wounds regularly
- 2. Reduce pressure on the wound
- 3. Maintain normal blood sugar levels
- 4. Consult a doctor
- What are the consequences if the wound is left untreated?
Diabetes mellitus has many names, such as diabetes and diabetes. However, Indonesian people also know the terms dry diabetes and wet diabetes. Even so, this term does not relate to the type of diabetes (diabetes types 1 and 2), but is an informal term that refers to the condition of wounds experienced by diabetics.
The cause of diabetic wounds is difficult to heal
Symptoms of diabetes can indeed be shown from wounds that are difficult to heal. Well, the symptoms of wet wounds which are usually accompanied by pus are often called wet diabetes. Meanwhile, dry diabetes refers to wounds that are not watery.
Wet wounds are a further condition of dry diabetes. This can happen because dry wounds are not treated promptly or blood sugar levels remain high, preventing the healing process.
The typical symptom of a wet diabetic wound is characterized by the appearance of pus. The appearance of pus indicates that the previously dry wound has now been infected by bacteria.
In addition, wet wounds usually take much longer to heal than dry wounds. In some cases, a wet wound infection can spread to other areas, requiring amputation.
In general, there are several things that make diabetes wounds difficult to heal, whether wet or dry:
1. Impaired blood circulation
High blood sugar levels in diabetics can make the arteries harden and narrow for a long time. This causes blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body to become obstructed.
The narrowing of the arteries eventually blocks the oxygen and nutrient-rich blood supply. In fact, oxygen and nutrients are very important in the wound healing process. That is why it is difficult for a diabetic person's body to repair the damage quickly.
2. Weak endurance
Apart from constriction of blood vessels, wounds on the body with diabetes (the term for diabetics) are also difficult to heal because their immune system tends to weaken.
The weakened immune system in diabetics can increase the risk of infection in wounds that remain open and wet. The wound then did not heal or even got worse.
Tips for treating diabetes wounds so they don't get worse
If the person with diabetes has a wound, treatment needs to be done as soon as possible. The wound healing process for people with diabetes also requires different handling from wound care in general.
You need to take the following steps in treating diabetes wounds:
1. Take care of wounds regularly
When you have a wound, diabetics need to treat it with care. In addition to giving medication regularly as directed by your doctor, you need to regularly clean the wound and cover it with a clean bandage.
Use an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and cover with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage regularly every day and clean the skin around the wound.
Also, always watch for signs of infection in the wound. If he is, you should immediately consult a doctor.
If this happens to your feet, you should wear socks with each shoe. However, you need to take off your shoes and socks from time to time to allow the leather to breathe so that it doesn't get damp.
2. Reduce pressure on the wound
Avoid applying pressure to the injured area. When covering the wound with gauze or a bandage, do not wrap it or close the wound too tightly.
If the wound is on the sole of the foot, you should use soft pads so that you don't step on the area that has the wound. Also try not to walk too often until the wound has healed.
3. Maintain normal blood sugar levels
In treating diabetes wounds, both dry and wet, you need to keep the sugar levels normal. This is because normal blood sugar levels are the most influential factor in the wound healing process.
Normal sugar levels can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as maintaining a balanced and regular diabetes diet, exercising regularly, and taking diabetes medication as recommended by a doctor.
4. Consult a doctor
If a dry wound that has been treated doesn't heal within a few weeks and causes redness and pain, consult a doctor immediately. These symptoms can indicate dry diabetic sores that have developed into wet sores as a result of infection.
Generally, the wound will be treated with antibiotic cream or ointment.
What are the consequences if the wound is left untreated?
Diabetes can also result in slow damage to the arteries followed by nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy).
This damage makes the nerves no longer able to send pain signals to the brain. As a result, you tend to be unconscious when your hand or leg is injured because you don't feel aches, pains, and aches. In other words, you may become numb or numb.
Not infrequently, diabetics only notice a wound when the wound condition has worsened and has an infection. If left untreated, this condition can develop into serious complications of diabetes.
According to studies from journals Molecular Sciences , when the wound on the leg does not gradually heal and is accompanied by nervous disorders, this condition has developed into a complication called diabetic foot. This condition is most often experienced by people with type 2 diabetes.
When the wound has further spread or is causing tissue death, the treatment can end in amputation.
Diabetes wounds should be treated as soon as possible. If not treated immediately, the wound has the potential to cause acute infection to dangerous complications.
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