Why Your Wounds Take Longer to Heal Than Others

If you have diabetes, drink a lot of alcohol, have vitamin deficiencies or are taking certain medications... it can make your wound take longer to heal.

According to Foxnews, cuts and scratches on the skin will heal quickly after a few days. However, if the wounds take a long time to heal, you need to pay attention to your health, because your body has some problems that make the wounds take longer to heal.

Here are the reasons why your wound is slow to heal.

Infection

The skin is responsible for protecting the body from disease-causing bacteria in the environment. When the skin is scratched, disease-causing bacteria can easily enter the body. If the wound becomes infected, the surrounding skin will become red, swollen, painful, and secrete foul-smelling fluid and pus. When infected, the wound will take longer to heal.

Vitamin deficiency

Vitamins A and C found in fruits and vegetables help the body heal wounds quickly. So when you are injured, you should add foods such as oranges, spinach, sweet potatoes and bell peppers to help wounds heal quickly.

Diabetes

Because of high blood sugar levels, people with diabetes are at risk of infection. High blood sugar can negatively affect circulation, the immune system, and nerves, leading to pain and slow healing of wounds. If you notice slow-healing wounds, especially on your legs and feet, you should get screened for diabetes.

Medicine

Certain medications can also be to blame for slow wound healing. Chemotherapy and harsh chemicals suppress the immune system, making it harder for wounds to heal. Antibiotics kill good bacteria, increasing the risk of infection. Additionally, anti-inflammatory drugs suppress the inflammatory phase, making wounds heal more slowly. If your medications are to blame, talk to your doctor.

Poor circulation

When your body heals a wound, red blood cells carry new cells to the damaged skin area. If your circulation is poor, blood will move more slowly to the wound site, delaying the healing process. Poor circulation can be caused by diabetes, obesity, blood clots, arterial buildup, or a number of other conditions.

Alcohol

Researchers say drinking alcohol can significantly increase the number of infections while in hospital. In addition, regular drinking can reduce the number of white blood cells in the body, increasing the risk of infection during wound healing.

According to VNE