Why is my wound healing so slowly?
Wounds need blood supply, nutrition and rest from re-injury. The common brakes: diabetes, smoking, poor circulation, constant friction at the site, low protein or vitamin C intake, steroid medicines, and age.
Basics done right speed most wounds: gentle cleaning, a moist dressing rather than open-air crusting, and protecting the site.
Any wound not clearly improving by two weeks, or with spreading redness, odor, increasing pain or fever, needs assessment. In diabetics, foot wounds are urgent from day one, and everyone's undiagnosed slow healing deserves a blood sugar test.
See a doctor promptly if
- Extreme thirst, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, rapid breathing or drowsiness. This can be a diabetic emergency, seek urgent care
- Unintentional weight loss with thirst and urination, especially in someone slim or young. This may be type 1 diabetes and needs same-day assessment
- A foot wound, ulcer or infection that is not healing, with known or suspected diabetes
- Sudden vision loss or new floaters in one or both eyes
- Confusion, sweating and shakiness that improve with sugar in someone using glucose-lowering medication
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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