High blood glucose from diabetes causes two problems that can hurt your feet:
Nerve damage. One problem is damage to nerves in your legs and feet. With damaged nerves, you might not feel pain, heat, or cold in your legs and feet. A sore or cut on your foot may get worse because you do not know it is there. This lack of feeling is caused by nerve damage, also called diabetic neuropathy (noo-ROP-uh-thee). Nerve damage can lead to a sore or an infection.
Poor blood flow. The second problem happens when not enough blood flows to your legs and feet. Poor blood flow makes it hard for a sore or infection to heal. This problem is called peripheral (puh-RIF-ur-uhl) vascular disease, also called PVD. Smoking when you have diabetes makes blood flow problems much worse.
These two problems can work together to cause a foot problem.
For example, you get a blister from shoes that do not fit. You do not feel the pain from the blister because you have nerve damage in your foot. Next, the blister gets infected. If blood glucose is high, the extra glucose feeds the germs. Germs grow and the infection gets worse. Poor blood flow to your legs and feet can slow down healing. Once in a while a bad infection never heals. The infection might cause gangrene (GANG-green). If a person has gangrene, the skin and tissue around the sore die. The area becomes black and smelly.
To keep gangrene from spreading, a doctor may have to do surgery to cut off a toe, foot, or part of a leg. Cutting off a body part is called an amputation (AM-pyoo-TAY-shuhn).
Showing posts with label can. Show all posts
Showing posts with label can. Show all posts
Monday, November 5, 2007
Boils can be painful
A boil (furuncle) is a skin disease caused by the inflammation of hair follicles, resulting in the localized accumulation of pus and dead tissues. Individual boils can cluster together and form an interconnected network of boils called carbuncles. In severe cases, boils may develop to form abscesses.
Symptoms
The symptoms of boils are red, pus-filled lumps that are tender, warm, and/or painful. A yellow or white point at the center of the lump can be seen when the boil is ready to drain or discharge pus. In a severe infection, multiple boils may develop and the patient may experience fever and swollen lymph nodes. A recurring boil is called chronic furunculosis.
In some people, itching may develop before the lumps begin to develop. Boils are most often found on the back, underarms, shoulders, face, thighs and buttocks, but may be found elsewhere. Boils on the ear tend to be more painful, and can create shooting pain in the entire ear when touched.
Sometimes boils will emit an unpleasant smell, particularly when drained or when discharge is present, due to the presence of bacteria in the discharge.
Causes
Boils are generally caused by an infection of the hair follicles by Staphylococcus aureus or staph, a strain of bacteria that normally lives on the skin surface. It is thought that a tiny cut of the skin allows this bacterium to enter the follicles and cause an infection. This can happen during bathing or while using a razor.
People with immune system disorders, diabetes, poor hygiene or malnutrition (Vitamin A or E deficiency) are particularly susceptible to getting boils. However they may also occur in healthy, hygienic individuals.
Hidradenitis suppurativa causes frequent boils.
Boils in the armpits can sometimes be caused by anti-perspirant deodorants.
Treatments
Most boils run their course within 4 to 10 days. For most people, self-care by applying a warm compress or soaking the boil in warm water can help alleviate the pain and hasten draining of the pus (colloquially referred to as "bringing the boil to a head"). Fire cupping can be utilised to facilitate this procedure. Once the boil drains, the area should be washed with antibacterial soap or antibacterial herbs (chickweed poultice) and bandaged well.
For recurring cases, sufferers may benefit from diet supplements of Vitamin A and E.
In serious cases, prescription oral antibiotics such as dicloxacillin (Dynapen) or cephalexin (Keflex), or topical antibiotics, are commonly used. For patients allergic to penicillin-based drugs, erythromycin (E-base, Erycin) may also be used.
However, some boils are caused by a superbug known as community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or CA-MRSA. Bactrim or other sulfa drugs must be prescribed relatively soon after boil has started to form. MRSA tends to increase the speed of growth of the infection.
Magnesium sulfate paste applied to the affected area can prevent the growth of bacteria and reduce boils by absorbing pus and drying up the lesion.
Prognosis
For most cases, there are no serious complications and a full recovery is expected.
Symptoms
The symptoms of boils are red, pus-filled lumps that are tender, warm, and/or painful. A yellow or white point at the center of the lump can be seen when the boil is ready to drain or discharge pus. In a severe infection, multiple boils may develop and the patient may experience fever and swollen lymph nodes. A recurring boil is called chronic furunculosis.
In some people, itching may develop before the lumps begin to develop. Boils are most often found on the back, underarms, shoulders, face, thighs and buttocks, but may be found elsewhere. Boils on the ear tend to be more painful, and can create shooting pain in the entire ear when touched.
Sometimes boils will emit an unpleasant smell, particularly when drained or when discharge is present, due to the presence of bacteria in the discharge.
Causes
Boils are generally caused by an infection of the hair follicles by Staphylococcus aureus or staph, a strain of bacteria that normally lives on the skin surface. It is thought that a tiny cut of the skin allows this bacterium to enter the follicles and cause an infection. This can happen during bathing or while using a razor.
People with immune system disorders, diabetes, poor hygiene or malnutrition (Vitamin A or E deficiency) are particularly susceptible to getting boils. However they may also occur in healthy, hygienic individuals.
Hidradenitis suppurativa causes frequent boils.
Boils in the armpits can sometimes be caused by anti-perspirant deodorants.
Treatments
Most boils run their course within 4 to 10 days. For most people, self-care by applying a warm compress or soaking the boil in warm water can help alleviate the pain and hasten draining of the pus (colloquially referred to as "bringing the boil to a head"). Fire cupping can be utilised to facilitate this procedure. Once the boil drains, the area should be washed with antibacterial soap or antibacterial herbs (chickweed poultice) and bandaged well.
For recurring cases, sufferers may benefit from diet supplements of Vitamin A and E.
In serious cases, prescription oral antibiotics such as dicloxacillin (Dynapen) or cephalexin (Keflex), or topical antibiotics, are commonly used. For patients allergic to penicillin-based drugs, erythromycin (E-base, Erycin) may also be used.
However, some boils are caused by a superbug known as community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or CA-MRSA. Bactrim or other sulfa drugs must be prescribed relatively soon after boil has started to form. MRSA tends to increase the speed of growth of the infection.
Magnesium sulfate paste applied to the affected area can prevent the growth of bacteria and reduce boils by absorbing pus and drying up the lesion.
Prognosis
For most cases, there are no serious complications and a full recovery is expected.
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