Diabetes and injury

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Carina1962

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Type 2
do we, as diabetics have to be extra careful of injury like falls etc? i know accidents can happen and there isn't much you can do about that but if you have a nasty fall or maybe involved in a car accident (which i was involved in last year, only minor but left me with a lot of awful brusing) what happens to the body being diabetic? I also had a nasty fall a few years ago (before diagnosed) as i slipped on ice and took a bad fall but do we not heal as well (inside and out) as a non-diabetic?
 
Hi Carina,

Thats a very good question. i would think we would mend as easily, but have to be very careful with feet - looking out for any pressure sores etc.

I am not totally sure though - so maybe others will be along to correct me.
 
I think there are extra problems that come with being diabetic if we get injured. A lot will probably depend on what sort of treatment regime you are on and how good your levels of control and knowledge of managing your diabetes is. Higher overall levels will make the risk of infection higher and can result in things taking longer to heal or needing much closer attention. If hospitalised, there will probably be day-to-day difficulties like maintaining good activity levels and also the kind of diet you are used to to help keep your levels good.

A few years ago, my right femur snapped when I was at mile 23 of a marathon - I didn't finish it! At that time, I wasn't diabetic, but I do wonder now how I might have coped. I could barely walk for about 5 months, and in the first month my body demanded so much energy to try and heal the wound that I was consuming well in excess of 6,000 calories a day - in the form of cakes, biscuits, sweets etc. Despite this, I didn't put on weight, I simply burned it off! Additionally, there was a lot of stress from the pain and worry which would also have raised my levels. So yes, I do think that things can be much tougher as a diabetic 😱
 
I'm still struggling with a frozen shoulder as a result of a fall six months ago. Maybe that's why it is still a problem. The doc wasn't very helpful, just said to exercise it!:confused:
 
Northerner - that sounds extremely painful. Shame you couldn't hop though as it was only your right leg and there was only 3 miles to go!

A good post Carina as not something you would necessarily notice to start with, or relate to diabetes.
 
lucy123 said:
Northerner - that sounds extremely painful. Shame you couldn't hop though as it was only your right leg and there was only 3 miles to go!

A good post Carina as not something you would necessarily notice to start with, or relate to diabetes.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't let me! I didn't even get my medal! The story has another connection with my diabetes: I was due to return to Stockholm to finish the Marathon I had failed to finish 4 years earlier - instead I ended up in hospital the week before with DKA and a diagnosis of diabetes!

To get back on topic, my experience in hospital when I was diagnosed made me realise (afterwards) that it presents problems you might not expect. The main problem was the food which, although it was good, was never monitored by the doctors or nurses, nor did they flinch when it sent me into the 20s and 30s after virtually every meal! I'd be horrified now!
 
At diagnosis the doctor I was registered with then told me I would not heal as fast as a non-diabetic and should be very careful of any wound, especially to my feet and hands. I do seem to pick up lots of bruises without knowing I'd bumped into anything and I'm still having fun waiting for my foot to fully heal, although it' nearly there and the wound is clean. It's been nearly two months since the stone was removed.

I also have a friend who has been Type 2 for a long time and she's had an ulcer on her leg for nearly three years now that just refuses to heal. I have to say she's not very well controlled and often falls off the wagon when it comes to sweet treats.
 
I was told id not heal as quick as a non diabetic, and may take longer recover from a cold.
 
so extreme sports are out the question lol! 🙂 seriously, i suppose we have to be extra careful if we can. My cousin has an ulcer on her leg and they are keeping a close eye on her for diabetes as like i've mentioned before, it is very prevalent in my family history and she is dreading the day if she is ever diagnosed, she seems to think that she will definately get it, in fact she is extremely worried.

Northerner, you certainly have been through the mill but you always seem a postive person which i guess is the best way to be, i try to be but don't always succeed, i'm afraid i'm a born worrier! 🙂
 
Well I'm concerned that if you are an obedient diabetic and take a good control of your gl level then there can't be any troubles unless the other complications with organs has already started.
Correct me please if I'm wrong.
 
As for the wound healing problems I've read lately in my local e-newspaper the following article. hopefully this really works.
 
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The better control you have of the diabetes, the less complications you are likely to get. I work with several diabetics who have good control and are as fit and well as anything.

I think we take longer to heal becuase of the way our bodies work, in much the same way as it takes longer to heal as you get older, but we are less likely to have problems because we take more notice of any changes and get it sorted quickly
 
Although I've never been way out of control, I've had a few bad scrapes over the years and have had my fair share of cuts, bruises and bad falls. I've never found I take any longer to heal or mend than most non-diabetics despite being told, like everyone else, that I would take longer. Ive also never had any infections beyond what everyone might get.

I did rock climbing for a couple of years which played havoc with my BGs but I didn't have any more bruises than the others and it stopped when I had a bad fall down the stairs after hypoing half way down and somersaulting to the tiled floor below. I badly grazed my shoulder and had severe bruising but I was driving the next day and it healed fine.
I had a frozen shoulder a year or so after which did take months to recover but apparently this is normal.

So I think it may be more connected to poor control as suggested and as long as your BG and HbA1c is somewhere near normal and you don't already have complications, then you *should* have the same healing properties as anyone else, considering any other medical conditions. ie. circulation, immune system, etc.

I didn't realise that breaks, etc required more food intake btw. That's a very useful thing to know Northerner, thanks. 🙂

Rob
 
I too have been told that diabetes means healing takes longer and recovering from colds & infections takes longer. In my experience, this is true.

I agree that the higher the BG levels the longer it will take your body to recover from injuries, etc. However, I'm dubious that "good" control will mean your ability to recover would be the same as a non-diabetic. When I was young my parents had my BG as damn near normal as possible, and I still took longer than a non-diabetic to recover from cuts and colds.
 
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