Wounds or sores that take more than a few weeks to heal might be infected and require medical treatment, and often indicate an underlying disease such as diabetes. (2024)

FAQs

Why does diabetes affect wound healing? ›

If you have diabetes, your body doesn't know how to effectively control your blood glucose, or blood sugar, on its own. If your blood sugar levels are consistently high, it can lead to problems with circulation, nerves and immune system – all of which can get in the way of good wound healing.

A skin wound that doesn't heal, heals slowly or heals but tends to recur is known as a chronic wound. Some of the many causes of chronic (ongoing) skin wounds can include trauma, burns, skin cancers, infection or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes. Wounds that take a long time to heal need special care.

Vitamin C deficiency has been found to impair wound healing and has also been associated with an increased risk of wound infection.

Infection. A common cause of delayed wound healing is infection. At the time of injury, microorganisms can enter the tissue. These microbes can delay wound healing by further prolonging the inflammatory process.

Control your sugar intake

Refined sugar leads to inflammation throughout your body, which can interfere with the wound healing process.

But when you have diabetes, your body produces enzymes and hormones that make your immune system less effective. This can lead to infections that may cause diabetic wounds to take longer to heal and require medical attention. “Your immune system operates on autopilot; in other words, you can't control it,” Dr.

Symptoms of Impetigo

Starts as small red bumps. These change quickly to cloudy blisters or pimples. Then, they become open sores which drain fluid or pus. Any sore or wound that grows and doesn't heal is usually impetigo.

Wounds generally heal in 4 to 6 weeks. Chronic wounds are those that fail to heal within this timeframe. Many factors can lead to impaired healing.

Slow-healing wounds, including leg and foot ulcers, can be a complication of autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus and scleroderma. Normally, even serious wounds heal in three months or less, but for many people with arthritis, healing can take much longer.

What disease causes slow healing? ›

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

The resulting poor circulation deprives the wound of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood, causing delayed healing. Some risk factors for PVD include high blood cholesterol, diabetes, old age, and smoking.

A sepsis scab appears dark, raised, and may ooze pus. Accompanying symptoms include high fever, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. Seek immediate medical attention if sepsis is suspected. Prevent sepsis through good hygiene, wound care, and prompt treatment of infections.

During the healing process, your body's red blood cells carry new cells to the site to begin rebuilding tissue. Poor blood circulation can slow down this process, making the wound that much longer to heal. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, can cause poor blood circulation.

Poor circulation: A proper blood flow delivers nutrients and oxygen to the wounds. It also helps remove bacteria and toxins from the area. However, diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and peripheral vascular disease hamper blood flow. This causes slow healing of wounds.

Diabetic foot ulcers or wounds put patients at a higher risk of hospitalization and need for surgery or amputation. In fact, according to the CDC, there are 130,000 hospitalizations a year for amputations in those with diabetes. Up to 11.8% of those with diabetes have a wound and many may go on to need surgery.

Trauma or pressure from ill-fitting shoes can quickly compromise blood flow and predispose the patient to infection. Diabetes also aggravates and potentiates any peripheral vascular disease. The organisms involved in a diabetic foot infection include staphylococcus, streptococci, pseudomonas, and many other anaerobes.

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes share common features that affect fracture healing, including hyperglycemia and increased inflammation. These factors increase osteoclasts and decrease the number of osteoblasts (the precursors of bone-forming cells) and decrease bone formation.

The skin of people with diabetes has greater stiffness and less flexibility, which is thought to render it more prone to injury. It has been suggested that these skin changes are the result of imbalances in collagen synthesis and degradation.