Why is diabetes and wound care so different from wound care for people without diabetes? Well, the initial problem is an increased blood glucose level. This condition causes the cell walls to become rigid thereby impairing blood flow through the critical small vessels at the wound surface and impeding red blood cell permeability and flow. Obviously, the first step in the process is lowering the blood sugar level.
Ok, so how does lowering blood glucose level affect diabetes and wound care? Keeping glucose levels at a more normal level lessens the compromising of chemotaxis and phagocytosis. The process by which white cells are attracted to the site of an infection is chemotaxis. The ingestion of bacteria by white cells is called phagocytosis. Both of these processes are very important in controlling wound infections. Diabetic wounds/infections do not heal as quickly because this process is slowed down because of the elevated blood glucose. An immune function that is less than optimal also contributes to poor wound healing in people with diabetes.
In a more straight forward manner regarding wound care and diabetes, people who are diabetics often notice that their skin gets itchy, dry, and is easily injured. Dry or itchy skin, which easily cracks, leads to compromised skin. At this point bacteria and germs are able to get into the cracks in the skin, feed on the elevated glucose in the body, and cause infection. There is no getting around it, people with diabetes have poor blood circulation. This means the body is slower to heal wounds. This is why diabetes and wound care is so important. People with diabetes many times may not even notice an injury until it is too late. They may already have an infection and not even be aware of it. Infections that are not healed quickly can lead to gangrene skin. In the worst case scenario this can lead to amputation. For those with diabetes, preventing infections and taking proper care of wounds, cuts, scrapes, and bruises is absolutely critical when talking about diabetic wound care.
More specifically, because blood circulation is at its’ poorest in the extremities of a diabetic, the hands and feet are particularly susceptible. It is of the utmost importance that people with diabetes thoroughly check their hands and feet for cuts, cracks or any other injury on a regular basis. Early detection is the best wound care for diabetics.
Although this is the last item of discussion it is far from the least important. Since elevated blood sugar is the primary culprit in diabetes wound care a proper diet plays a very important part and is a front line defense. There are many places where a diabetic can learn what foods they should eat and which foods they should avoid. It is in your best interest to do exactly that.
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