Sometimes a small cut on the finger while cooking, sometimes a small blister on the foot after a long Sunday walk. For most, these small cuts and wounds heal fairly quickly and are soon forgotten. The situation is different for diabetics: poorly healing or chronic wounds are not uncommon.1,2 Even small wounds/traumas that go unnoticed can lead to serious complications such as developing Charcot foot.3 Charcot foot means nothing to you? Then click here. But why do wounds in diabetics heal much worse than in healthy people and what everyday tips can you give your patients?
Why do wounds heal so badly?
It used to be assumed that wound healing in diabetics is impaired due to damage to nerve cells and vessels as a result of the excessively high glucose level.1 But it doesn’t seem to be that easy! Today we know that impaired wound healing is dependent on far more than just high glucose levels. On the one hand, there is the poorer blood circulation and the restricted immune system, which means that infections occur more frequently.1 On the other hand, the restricted insulin metabolism in the wound also seems to play a decisive role.1,2
How to deal with small wounds?
Basically, diabetics should check their body, especially their feet, for small and large lesions regularly and especially after physical activity due to the disturbed perception of pain. If the wound is small, the wound should be cleaned quickly with sterile saline or fresh tap water and then disinfected to prevent infection of the wound. At the end, the wound can be additionally protected with a plaster or bandage. Important in all of this: Even small wounds should not be underestimated in diabetics and should always be taken seriously. If wounds do not heal or even worsen, a trip to the doctor is inevitable.
Credentials:
- living with diabetes Wound outpatient clinic Austria. Online at: https://www.wundambulanz.at/leben-mit-diabetes/ (last accessed on May 19, 2022).
- Why wound healing is impaired in diabetes. Diabetes Information Service. Munich. Online at: https://www.diabetesinformationsdienst-muenchen.de/index.php?id=17027&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36185&cHash=d06d5e1a08d3164be6440f93bbc98853 (last accessed on May 19, 2022).
- Poll LW and Chantelau E. Dtsch Arztebl 2010; 107(7):A-272/B-238/C-234
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