When I was in my early 20’s, a very good friend of mine became diagnosed with diabetes. It was a shocking announcement and also very intimidating. I knew that diabetes was serious. I knew it included shots, insulin, special diets and exercise. What I didn’t know is how diabetes can cause serious difficulties in the body’s healing of simple wounds.
Diabetes is relatively common in the U.S. Data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet released January 26, 2011 shows that 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. – 8.3% of the population – have diabetes. There are 18.8 million people diagnosed, 7 million undiagnosed, and 79 million people in some potential state of prediabetes.
If you have diabetes it doesn’t matter how small a wound is, you should never ignore it. A stubbed toe, a blister, or a nick on the chin while shaving; you’ve got to treat these wounds correctly. Why? Because diabetes is a chronic disease where the body doesn’t use glucose (sugar) the way it should. This makes it harder for the body to heal itself because of nerve damage (you may not feel the wound or feel it worsening), weakened immune system (higher risk of infections), and narrow arteries (clogged arteries are more likely to develop wounds).
The first step in taking care of a wound correctly is to do it immediately. Do not wait. Secondly, you need to clean the wound. Rinse it under running water, apply antibiotic ointment and cover the wound. Never use soap, hydrogen peroxide or iodine to clean the wound as it will increase the possibility of infection. Thirdly, see your doctor. Err on the side of caution. Lastly, keep pressure off the wound while it is healing.
At Ogden Regional Medical Center, diabetes care includes a new procedure that takes care of nonhealing foot ulcers, the most common wound, and helps save patients from amputation.
One such procedure is called Dermagraft, where bioengineered human skin derived from the foreskin of newborns is applied to a skin ulcer with steri strips (nonadherent dressing). This exact procedure at Ogden Regional saved a woman from amputation after receiving cuts on her toes while swimming. The human tissue used in the procedure has stem cells which are grown in petri dishes and shipped frozen. The stem cells assist the patient’s skin in the restoration of the dermal bed, allowing the wounds to heal. The procedure takes 45 minutes and the patient does not need to be sedated. Healing takes about four weeks.
As a diabetic you can’t always prevent foot wounds, but you can prevent amputation. A few steps towards prevention include the following.
- Check your feet every single day and wash them with mild soap.
- Dry your feet well. Moisture between toes can cause skin breakdowns.
- Be cautious in nail salons.
- Keep your feet from drying and cracking.
Help your body take care of itself.
