NAN-HG-8
Amputation
Jos, Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) Mr Chima Adindu, a diabetes educator with the Jos University Teaching Hospital, has cautioned diabetic patients against poor management of wounds as it could lead to outright amputation.
Adindu gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.
He said that poorly managed wound in diabetes was now the highest cause of amputation because it usually led to fungal infection of the bone.
He said that when this occurred, the only way such a patient could be healed was to have the affected bone removed.
“If the wound is not managed or poorly managed, it can become infected because bacteria can easily thrive in it.
“In such a situation, fungi infection also finds its way there and amputation is the only way through which the body can get its healing back,” he said.
Adindu also disclosed that people with diabetes were prone to having foot problems from complications, resulting in the damage of the patient’s nerve (neuropathy) and poor blood circulation.
“Neuropathy causes loss of feeling in the feet and discomfort. So in this case, it is a bit difficult to detect an injury or irritation.
“Such wounds are not felt and can be left untreated while poor circulation in the feet reduces the ability to heal,” he said.
The educator cautioned that such patients should always ensure that they did regular foot checks.
He advised patients to ensure that they had no cracks on their feet, ensure regular toe nail cutting and wearing of fitted foot wears to help protect the feet against injuries.
Adindu advised that people drank plenty of water, saying that it helped body metabolism but warned against indiscriminate consumption of packaged drinks. (NAN)
UBO/EMO/AMY
Edited by Ejike Obeta and Abdullahi Yusuf