A patient complains that one or more fingers or the toes, perhaps a part of the hand or foot are cold, appear purple and shriveled, evoke a charateristic odour and present with loss of sensation but with severe pain in the adjoining living tissue, with or without secondary infection. It is a case of GANGRENE.
As thrombosis slowly extends up the limb, the gangrene spreads until a line of demarcation forms where adequate blood supply is available. The most common type of gangrene is senile gangrene, which is caused by arteriosclerosis. Extremities become white, cold, and anesthetic. Soon the part becomes painful, gradually drying, and becoming mummified.
Symptoms of Gangrene
Indicators and symptoms of gangrene in the skin could be:
- Depending on the type of gangrene, skin discoloration can range from pale to blue, purple, black, bronze, or red.
- Increasing the size of an area of skin or developing fluid-filled blisters
- Skin damage and health can be distinguished with ease
- Pain that comes on suddenly, then numbness comes after that.
- A sore that is leaking an offensive-smelling discharge
- skin that is hairless, shiny, or thin
- the sensation of having cool or cold skin
- Swollen and extremely painful, the affected tissue
- You feel unwell overall, and you have a low-grade fever.
If a bacterial infection that started in the gangrenous tissue spreads throughout the body, it may result in a condition known as septic shock, which has the following signs and symptoms:
- Low blood pressure
- Temperature may be lower than the typical 98.6 F (37 C) but there is a chance of fever.
- Rapid heart rate
- Lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
Causes of Gangrene
Various factors, including those listed below, can lead to gangrene:
- Lack of blood supply.Without a sufficient blood supply, cells can’t survive, and your tissue deteriorates. Your blood supplies oxygen, nutrients to feed your cells, and immune system components like antibodies to fend off infections.
- Infection.For an extended period of time, unchecked bacterial growth can lead to infection, which can kill your tissue and result in gangrene.
- Trauma.Traumatic wounds, such as those from gunshots or the crushing trauma of car accidents, can allow bacteria to enter tissues deep within the body, where they can then infect those tissues and lead to gangrene.
Types of Gangrene
Dry gangrene.The most common causes of dry gangrene are diabetes and arterial blood vessel disease, which are both characterized by dry, shriveled skin that can range in color from brown to purplish blue or black.
Wet gangrene.Wet gangrene is characterized by swelling, blistering, and a wet appearance and is referred to as occurring in tissues that have a bacterial infection.
Wet gangrene is a serious condition that needs to be treated right away because it spreads quickly and can be fatal. It can appear after a severe burn, frostbite, or other injury and frequently happens in diabetics who inadvertently hurt a toe or foot.
Gas gangrene.The surface of your skin may initially seem normal if you have gas gangrene, which typically affects deep muscle tissue.
You may notice a bubbly appearance to your skin as the condition worsens, a change in color from pale to gray or purplish red, and a crackling sound when you press on the affected skin due to the gas within the tissue.
Similar to wet gangrene, gas gangrene is a potentially fatal condition that is most frequently brought on by infection with the Clostridium perfringens bacterium, which appears in a wound or injury that has lost its blood supply following surgery or an injury.
Internal gangrene.Internal gangrene is a type of gangrene that impacts one or more of your internal organs, such as your intestines, gallbladder, or appendix. This type of gangrene happens when blood flow to an internal organ is obstructed, such as when your intestines bulge through a weak spot of muscle in your abdomen (hernia) and twist.
Internal gangrene, if untreated, can be fatal and may result in fever and excruciating pain.
Fournier’s gangrene.Men are more frequently affected by Fournier’s gangrene, but women can also get it. Fournier’s gangrene affects the genital organs and causes genital pain, tenderness, redness, and swelling. It typically develops as a result of an infection in the genital area or urinary tract.
Progressive bacterial synergistic gangrene (Meleney’s gangrene).Painful skin lesions start to appear one to two weeks after surgery when this uncommon form of gangrene develops.
Risk factors
You are more likely to get gangrene if a number of things happen, such as:
- Diabetes.High blood sugar levels can eventually damage blood vessels, decreasing or interrupting blood flow to a part of your body. If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t produce enough of the hormone insulin (which helps your cells take up blood sugar) or is resistant to its effects.
- Blood vessel disease.Blood clots and atherosclerosis, which harden and narrow your arteries, can both prevent blood from reaching a particular part of your body.
- Severe injury or surgery.You are more likely to develop gangrene if you experience any kind of trauma to your skin and underlying tissue, such as from an injury or frostbite, especially if you also have a condition that affects the blood flow to the injured area.
- Smoking.Gangrene is more likely to occur in smokers.
- Obesity.Obesity frequently goes hand in hand with diabetes and vascular disease, but just carrying extra weight can put stress on your arteries, reducing blood flow and raising your risk of infection and inadequate wound healing.
- Immunosuppression.Your body’s capacity to fight off an infection is compromised if you have HIV, are receiving chemotherapy, or are undergoing radiation therapy.
- Medications or drugs that are injected.The injection of some prescription drugs and illicit substances has occasionally been found to result in gangrene-causing bacterial infections.
Complications of Gangrene
When there is extensive tissue death from gangrene, a body part, like your foot, may need to be amputated or scarred, depending on the severity of the condition.
If untreated, gangrene caused by a bacterial infection may be fatal. It can quickly spread to other organs.
Prevention of Gangrene
You can lessen your risk of getting gangrene by following these recommendations:
- Care for diabetes.In the event that we have diabetes, we must make sure to regularly check our hands and feet for cuts, sores, and indications of infection, such as swelling, redness, or drainage.
- Lose weight.A person who is overweight increases their risk of developing diabetes as well as other diseases like infection and sluggish wound healing because extra weight puts pressure on their arteries.
- Don’t use tobacco.Blood vessels can be harmed by smoking tobacco continuously.
- Help prevent infections.While they are healing, make an effort to keep any open wounds clean and dry by washing them with mild soap and water.
- Watch out when the temperature drops.Call your doctor if you notice that any area of skin has turned pale, hard, cold, or numb after being exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period of time due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures.
Homoeopathic Medicine of Gangrene
Anthracinumis a nosode that is a very effective treatment for gangrenous ulcers, ulcers with a black base on the lower limbs that produce an unpleasant discharge, and gangrene from burns and scalds.
Arsenicum albumis specifically used to treat diabetic gangrene, which manifests as ulcers on the heels, soles, tips of the fingers, and toes, along with excruciating pain that is only relieved by heat. The patient also complains of extreme sudden weakness and is restless.
Cantharis vesicatoriasWith a tendency to gangrene, ulcerative pain in the soles, burning in the feet at night, and violently acute or quickly destructive inflammation in the mucous and serous membrance, the action is swift and intense.
Lachesis mutusSkin appears bluish-purplish, blisters turn dark with black edges, purpura with intense prostration, dilated capillaries, and sensitive, burning, bleeding ulcers that can progress to gangrene are all symptoms.
Secale cornutumis a vegetable nosode that acts on the vasomotor nerves, causing blood vessels to contract at first, then dilate, making it a good treatment for gangrene caused by trauma that is made better by cold.
Tarantula cubensisis appropriate for extremely painful conditions, alarming prostration, fierce burning, sharp stinging pains, and board-like hardness of the affected areas.
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