Treating Diabetes Wounds - Dr. Sanjay Kolte, General Surgeon in Pune

Diabetes is a chronic disease where the blood sugar level increases. This can be due to the inability of pancreas to produce enough insulin or due to failure of the cells to respond to the insulin produced. Increased thirst, increased hunger and increased urination are common symptoms of diabetes.

When you have diabetes, then you are strictly not allowed to ignore a minor wound on your body. A minor cut, if neglected, can cause major problems to a diabetic person. 

These include:

• Weakened Immune System: A minor wound can also cause infection if the body’s immune system is down.

• Neuropathy:You don’t feel the pain of a blister or cut until it gets worse.

• Narrow Arteries: People with narrow arteries are more likely to get wound infections and their wound healing process also is slow.

Symptoms of Foot Ulcers:

Any person who has diabetes can develop foot ulcer. Pain is not a very common symptom for this, because most of the people lose the feeling of pain. You can see redness or swelling, and not notice some bad odour.

Treating the diabetic wound:

• No matter how small the wound is, if you have diabetes, then it must be healed as early as possible to avoid any type of infection.

• Don’t Waste Time: Take care of the wound immediately so as to avoid any further infection or major problem.

• Clean-up the Wound: Remove the dirt by rinsing the wound under running water. Apply antibiotic ointment and cover the wound with sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily.

• See your Doctor: Don’t ignore even minor symptoms of wound and see your doctor immediately. Have the wound healed before it causes infection.

Proper Care: If your wound is healing, take proper care of the affected area. For example, if you have wound at the foot, make sure you wear proper footwear and socks. And keep the affected area clean.