Why Are Diabetic Wounds Hard to Heal? This is the Cause

Diabetics need to be more careful when carrying out daily activities. The reason is, if an activity causes you to get injured, the healing process will take longer. So, why are wounds in people with diabetes difficult to heal? Check out the full explanation below.

Causes of Difficult Wounds in Diabetics to Heal

Diabetes is the effect of the body’s inability to produce or use the hormone insulin. This hormone works by delivering glucose to other body cells to be converted into energy.

When the body has difficulty regulating glucose, the glucose level in the blood will increase. This condition affects the body’s ability to heal wounds.

The following are several factors that cause wounds to heal longer, including:

1. Blood Circulation Is Not Smooth

High blood sugar for a long time can cause problems in the blood circulatory system.

Excess blood glucose can reduce the elasticity of blood vessels and cause them to become narrower. This condition will affect blood circulation throughout the body.

In addition, too much glucose in the blood can increase blood viscosity. This condition will make it more difficult for blood to flow.

Blood has a duty to carry oxygen and nutrients to all body cells. When blood circulation is obstructed, cells also don’t get enough nutrition, which slows down wound healing.

Also Read: Eating Eggs Every Day Can Prevent Diabetes?

2. Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetics also have a high risk of experiencing nerve damage as a complication. This nerve damage is also known as diabetic neuropathy. The longer a person lives with diabetes, the higher the risk of developing neuropathy.

The most common form of nerve damage is peripheral neuropathy. This condition causes pain and numbness in the feet, hands, toes, and fingers.

This condition will make the sufferer unable to feel pain when there is an injury. If you are not aware that there is a wound, diabetics will not get proper wound treatment. This condition will increase the risk of infection.

Therefore, you need to check your feet every day.

3. Immune Deficiency

Many people with diabetes have difficulty with the immune system. High glucose levels can inhibit the immune system from working effectively.

This condition will make it easier for pathogens to grow in wounds and cause infection.

Diabetes will inhibit the ability of white blood cells to go to the injured area due to narrowed blood vessels. This condition will cause bacteria and viruses in the wound to be difficult to fight and the wound will take longer to heal.

Also Read: 5 Ways to Prevent Wounds in People with Diabetes

When do you need to see a doctor?

If you have a wound on any part of your body, even if it’s just a scratch or a minor burn, it’s best to clean it and keep the wound sterile.

However, if the wound does not heal, you should immediately contact a doctor or the nearest health facility to get the right treatment.

Diabetics have a high risk of amputation, therefore you need to consult as soon as you notice a wound in the leg area.

So, those are some reasons for wounds that are difficult to heal in diabetics. Therefore, do not ignore and underestimate injuries to any part of the body.

In addition to checking your body for injuries every day, you also need to maintain blood sugar levels within the normal range and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

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