Gangrene is a medical condition that refers to tissue death in parts of the body. However, it is commonly seen in the extremities, particularly in the feet and toes. Its effect is very unfortunate because in some cases, the infected part of the body may be amputated in order to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.
What Is Gangrene?
Gangrene is a medical condition which occurs when body tissue dies. The symptoms associated with gangrene are numbness, pain and discoloration in the affected tissue, along with a discharge.
Causes and Effects of Gangrene
When blood vessels are significantly damaged, they cannot supply blood to the affected part of the body. Without the nutrients that the blood provides, tissues can quickly become damaged. Muscles and other tissues in the body are constantly producing waste which is carried by the blood vessels to the necessary excretory organ. Therefore, if the blood vessel is damaged, the accumulated waste can cause gangrene.
Trauma to any part of the body can cause blood circulation to stop. If the blood circulation stops, gangrene sets in. For instance, severe burns or frostbite can lead to gangrene if left untreated. Trauma-related gangrene, which is scientifically referred to as wet gangrene, usually develops from the infected tissue to other parts of the body. Therefore, it is very important to treat gangrene before it spreads to other parts of the body.
Bacterial infections, especially those that occur after a surgical intervention, can also cause gangrene around the surgical wound. This can become fatal if it goes untreated.
Types of Gangrene
Manifestations of gangrene are primarily described using three different terms.
Dry gangrene spreads slowly after blood supply is cut off to the distal part of a limb. The affected tissue resembles that of a mummy, being dry and unnaturally darkened. This is the type of gangrene that often affects diabetics. It strikes unsuspectingly, because it does not happen as a result of an injury but rather due to the slow strangulation of the blood vessels in the area.
Wet gangrene spreads more rapidly. It primarily affects tissues that are naturally moist, such as the mouth and lungs. It gives off a horrible smell.
Gas gangrene results from a bacterial infection. The infection produces gases in the affected tissues. Gas in the tissues is very serious and this should be treated as soon as possible. Death can occur within 48 hours of left untreated.
Although it is very rare, fungal infection in the toes can lead to gangrene. Therefore, you need to ensure that your toenails are free from any fungus. If you indeed have toenail fungus, you need not worry. At Clear Toes Clinic, we can treat the toenail fungus using a simple laser procedure to kill toenail fungus forever. Once the toenail fungus has been killed, you never have to worry about getting gangrene as a result of toenail fungus.
