Why does it take more time for diabetic patients to heal their wounds? Find out the cause and tips to prevent infection from your doctor

 Why does it take more time for diabetic patients to heal their wounds? Find out the cause and tips to prevent infection from your doctor

Wound healing takes longer in diabetic patients. Learn about the reasons behind this from a doctor here.

Diabetic patients often have problems. They have to strictly follow everything from food to exercise. After the blood sugar level increases, many disparities begin to occur in diabetic patients, one of which is the time it takes for the wound to dry. Have you ever wondered why diabetic patients take time to heal wounds? If you are also a diabetic patient and if this happens to you, then this article can come in handy. In this article we will tell you about some important things related to it. This usually happens when the patient's blood sugar level is high. To get more information on this topic, we spoke to Diabetologist Dr. Shaiwal Chandalaya of Jaslok Hospital and Research Center in Mumbai. Let's know about it.

1. Increased blood sugar

Dr. Shaiwal Chandalaya said that the main reason behind the time it takes for wounds to dry in diabetic patients is their increased blood sugar level. When the amount of blood sugar level in the body increases more, it takes more time than usual for the wounds and injuries in the patient's body to dry.

2. Impairment of innate immunity

Dr. According to Algae, when the blood sugar level in the body increases beyond the limit, then the effect of blood glucose directly affects the innate immunity. Innate immunity prevents the spread of pathogens in our body. Innate immunity is the body's first defense against any type of virus, bacteria, germs, etc. The immune system is already less active in diabetic patients. Due to diabetes, enzymes and hormones are released in the body that weaken the immune system. So it takes time for the wound to dry in patients.

3. White blood cells carry out the process

Because of an ineffective immune system, diabetic patients already have a lot of problems in healing wounds or fighting an infection. White blood cells found in innate immunity are the first to be attracted to the lesion. This process is called chemotaxis. This is followed by the process of phagocytosis. In phagocytosis, white blood cells reach the wound and attack the micro-organisms present there, killing them. Apart from this, white blood cells also play an important role in healing wounds and repairing and rebuilding cells and tissues.

4. The process of phagocytosis is affected

When the level of blood glucose in the body is more than 200mg/dl, then the processes of chemotaxis and phagocytosis are affected. As a result, wounds heal late in diabetic patients. Apart from this, when the blood sugar level is too high, the risk of nerve damage increases. It often occurs in the hands and feet and causes numbness in the affected area. It is called neuropathy in the language of science. It does not even feel pain or sting when it gets hurt.

5. Red blood cells are unable to reach the lesion

In such a situation, the diabetic patient does not even know that he has an injury and in such a situation, the injury remains untreated for a long time. This can make the wound even deeper. Blood circulation is affected in neuropathy. In this situation, the blood thickens and the blood circulation slows down. Because of this, the supply of nutrients and oxygen in the body also slows down. When red blood cells cannot reach the wound or injury fast enough, wound healing is further delayed.

Tips for preventing infection

Diabetic patients don't feel much pain when they get a wound or injury, so they don't get a proper idea of ​​the wound.

For this, see the doctor immediately after the injury. Doing so reduces the risk of infection.

Control your elevated blood sugar levels to prevent infection.

After the injury, keep an eye on the affected part to detect if the infection develops.

After injury, keep the affected area clean.

This article is doctor-verified. With the reasons given in this article, you can understand why diabetic patients take time to heal wounds.