Gangrene is the death of body tissue caused by poor circulation or severe bacterial infection leading to lack of oxygen of the tissue cells. As the primary cause of gangrene is atherosclerosis, it is very important that you manage your diet to lower your chances of developing atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque deposits (made up of cholesterol, fats, calcium etc) in the walls of the blood vessels, resulting in the narrowing of the blood vessels and reducing the blood flow towards the affected part of the body. You may be at higher risk of developing atherosclerosis if you consume foods high in fat, as these foods commonly contain high levels of cholesterol.

Therefore, one should consume a healthy diet, with low content of fat, to ensure that existing atherosclerosis will not worsen and thus decrease the chances of developing gangrene. You should avoid foods that are high in saturated fat content as they increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Below is a list of foods high in saturated fat content: [1]

● Butter
● Ice cream
● Cakes
● Biscuits
● Sausages, bacon and fatty cuts of meat
● Food containing coconut or palm oil
● Hard cheese
● Lard
● Cured meats (such as salami, chorizo and pancetta)
● Fried food

However, this list is not exhaustive, and there are still lots of food that have a high fat content. As such, if possible, you should always check the nutrition label on products that you purchase, and pick foods with lower saturated fat content. Here are a list of tips you should consider as you go about your grocery shopping, in order to avoid foods with high fat content which can result in atherosclerosis: [2]

● Choose grilled, baked or steamed food over fried or roasted food
● Choose leaner cuts of meat
● Control the amount of oil you use during cooking
● Choose low fat or reduced fat dairy products
● Add more vegetables and fruits into your diet

In addition, as gangrene is a medical condition which affects the skin tissue, it is also very important to protect your skin health. Additionally, it is also very important to protect your feet health, to prevent the development of chronic ulcers. Protecting your feet health is especially important for diabetic patients and patients who suffer from health conditions related to atherosclerosis, as these health conditions increase the risk of developing gangrene. Below is a list of important points you should take note of to know how to prevent gangrene: [1]

● If you have diabetes, you should have your feet checked at least once a year. However, if you have other health conditions on top of diabetes, such as a history of foot ulcers or numbness in the hands and feet, you should have them checked more than once a year.
● Check your feet daily for numbness, cuts, breaks in the skin, swelling or discolouration, and consult your GP immediately.
● Wear shoes that fit properly and ensure that they are not too tight or rub against your skin. Wearing socks with your shoes will also help to reduce trauma to the skin.
● Maintain a healthy weight. An increased weight puts you at risk of not only diabetes, but also stimulates to production of chemicals which damage the blood vessels in your body. This results in increased risk of atherosclerosis.
● Do not smoke. Often, smoking is associated with multiple cardiovascular diseases, as the components of smoke can often result in atherosclerosis. This causes the narrowing of your blood vessels due to the buildup of plaque deposits in the walls of the blood vessels, which can result in stroke and/or heart attack. This also puts you at risk of developing gangrene.
● If you have wounds, prevent infections by washing open wounds with mild soap and clean water, and try to keep the wounds dry and clean until they heal.
● Reduce your intake of alcohol. Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause your blood pressure to rise, and raises the amount of cholesterol in the blood. This puts you at higher risk of developing atherosclerosis.

In addition, you should consider regular exercise, in order to ensure not only a healthy weight, but good circulation in your body. Exercise promotes good circulation in the body and by exercising regularly, this decreases your chances of developing gangrene. Below are a few simple exercises that you can do daily to promote good circulation: [3, 4]

● Walking. Walking is the simplest form of aerobic exercise that you can do daily. In addition, this form of exercise does not require any equipment, and you could do it anywhere. Be it a simple 15 minute walk around the park, doing this exercise daily will promote good circulation in your body.
● Jogging. If you are up for something more intense, you should consider jogging! Much like walking, you could take a 10 to 15 minute jog each day and it would be able to easily boost the circulation in your body. In addition, jogging will also be able to train your stamina and cardio endurance.
● Swimming. If you are looking for a low-impact sport, you should consider swimming, especially if you are pregnant. It is very important to maintain good circulation even through pregnancy, as it can lead to long-term medical problems such as deep vein thrombosis and insufficiency. In addition, through swimming, you can also build muscle strength, and burn calories.
● Yoga. Primarily, yoga focuses on relaxing and deep breathing which can boost the circulation in your body. In addition, stretching and increasing flexibility through yoga allows for oxygenated blood to reach your organs and muscles, promoting good circulation. Through yoga exercises, you can promote good circulation.

Overview of Preventive Strategies

Prevention of Gangrene through Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle: Lifestyle prevention of the onset of gangrene is now a more common approach that people are inclined toward, once they know that their lifestyles make them more vulnerable to severe diseases. Things are worse than ever, but the grave danger of gangrene is quite effective for us all to adopt some healthy lifestyle modifications.

Prevention: It is better to be cautious than to repent, and in the case of gangrene, the clause is even more valid. Decreased blood supply is a sure root of gangrene, but that’s not all, because unhealthy dietary intakes directly precipitate obesity and diabetes, which add to our susceptibility to getting struck by gangrene. By scrutinizing all these factors, there are many schemes put forth to advance the prevention of gangrene. Because all is interrelated, we should all adopt integrative methods that suggest adopting complete lifestyle modifications, which comprise a balanced diet, timely examination of blood glucose levels, moderate and calculated exercises, and emotional and mental peace. By incorporating these steps, one can effectively prevent and avert getting struck by gangrene.

Changing the Lifestyle: There are many youngsters out here who take this concept of gangrene being a risk factor because of faulty lifestyle intakes far less seriously than it actually is. However, they are unaware of the fact that faulty lifestyles and diets are the most important causes of the downfall of the immune system, and one important component of that is a drop in macrovascular and microvascular strength. Our blood is responsible for bringing nutrition to all cells of the body. It also takes care of removing toxins from each of these cells. A poor dietary intake increases the chances of contracting killer diseases like arteriosclerosis and stroke. These, in turn, destroy the vascular system. In the same strain, if one happens to smoke or drink, the risk further increases because tobacco and alcohol are the elements that destroy the tiny arterioles that carry blood to the cells of our body. This happens because of the narrowing of arterioles, a decrease in oxygen content, and a spurt of carbon dioxide, and the result is seen in the form of gangrene.

Dietary Tips and Exercise

Diet and physical activity are critical to the goal of maintaining a body that is resistant to the development of gangrene. Medical professionals have detailed many changes that can be made to dramatically slow down or stop the development of gangrene. By incorporating these changes into your lifestyle, you can reduce your risk and possibly even overturn the worst of the damage. Drinking plenty of water is essential to keeping your body healthy. This can help flush out toxins that interfere with healing and help to keep your skin and the rest of your body hydrated. Nails and hair might grow faster on a diet with plenty of water, but it’s more important to keep your body healthy. There is no magic diet to help with gangrene, but it’s generally agreed that a good anti-gangrene diet is one that can help to improve circulation. Choose foods that are rich in the important vitamins and minerals needed to create a strong immune system and reduce inflammation. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals in preventing gangrene are vitamins A, C, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and zinc. Foods that are rich in any of these will make a good foundation for a diet that encourages recovery from and prevents gangrene. Weight can often be the source of many health problems, so it is important to maintain a healthy weight. An overweight or obese person has a higher chance of developing a dangerous blood clot, which can come loose and cause gangrene. Aerobic exercise is an excellent way to improve your overall health and lose weight. At least 30 minutes, 5 days a week will be enough to see some health benefits, and the more of it you can handle, the better they will be. However, strength-training exercise is also important. By keeping the muscles in your body strong, you can improve the health of your circulation and fight off the complications of diabetes. Many diabetic patients have seen remarkable improvements to their condition by taking up regular exercise. There are also many other benefits, like improving your mood. Smoking cigarettes or using tobacco in any form is a leading cause of diabetes and, as a result, gangrene. Empty calories and alcoholic drinks should be consumed in moderation. Be sure to enjoy your drinks with a meal, and drink plenty of water in between servings. High nicotine levels are not recommended. Drinking nicotine may reduce circulation to the extremities. Hobbies or habits that involve keeping hands wet or dirty can also increase the chance of a skin injury that might ultimately result in gangrene. Handwashing often is also recommended. It is also important to avoid substances with possible hazardous concentrations of nitrites and arsenic.

Managing Blood Sugar Levels: For Diabetics

Diabetics should pay particular attention to managing their blood sugar levels to prevent complications like gangrene from developing. Those with sustained high blood sugar levels over a period of time have an increased susceptibility to infections and tissue damage and are therefore more at risk of becoming gangrenous. Effective blood sugar management includes controlling the type and amount of foods eaten during mealtimes to help manage insulin production in the pancreas. Generally, following a healthy lifestyle involving a well-balanced diet and participating in regular physical activity is believed to be more impactful in controlling blood sugar levels than medication alone. This can include eating three meals per day at the same time each day, opting for high-fiber, high-nutrient foods and few or no sugary foods, and drinking water often throughout the day. Regular blood testing may also be advised to check glucose levels before meals and before sleeping. However, this will depend on the doctor’s recommendation and the state of the individual’s diabetic condition.

It is important for diabetics to manage their conditions and blood sugar levels consistently over time and avoid skipping medications when possible, as this can cause the condition to worsen. As a result, diabetics may be at an elevated risk of developing circulatory issues, which can, in turn, result in gangrene developing more easily. It is important for diabetics to learn about the condition from specialists who can offer advice on how best to manage the condition effectively. They can also recommend others who may have had similar experiences and have advice to share on coping with the condition. In this way, knowing the details of diabetic foot care and the signs of gangrene can potentially save lives. Attention to lifestyle changes such as those mentioned in the previous section on stopping smoking can only help in diabetes management.

Regular Health Check-ups

Regular health assessments at specific intervals can help monitor health changes. These changes become a basis for preventive management of health issues. The assessment can help identify the risk factors before they become serious. Monitoring the health of individuals is done, and regular check-ups are advised as a part of preventive care. Frequent and regular check-ups are recommended for people at high risk, like the elderly and those with a family history of certain ailments. Regular health assessments can be an opportunity for healthcare providers and caretakers to deliver preventive care, particularly immunizations and regular screenings. A preventive mindset can help not only in avoiding infections but also in avoiding gangrene. The emphasis on check-ups as a treatment for systemic diseases, on which the risk of diabetic foot leads to gangrene.

Preventive Approach: Regular check-ups bring about the required vital signs like blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, height and weight, BMI, and other relevant indices. Immunizations: According to the disease pattern, immunizations can be given, such as tetanus vaccination to the care providers of diabetic ulcer patients. Screening of Chronic Diseases: Diabetologists need to discuss more than blood glucose levels and diet with their patients. Identifying Early Signs of Complications: Open dialogues with patients about neuropathy symptoms and signs. Compliance with Medication: Assess the degree of compliance with medication. Monitoring Treatment and Therapy: If vasculopathy is confirmed by Doppler, suitable modifications in interventions can be carried out according to the results. The decision regarding whether medication is sufficient or not can also be determined by related check-ups. It is likely that periodic comprehensive check-ups are essential for patients with diabetic foot.

Stress Management

An often-overlooked part of disease prevention is the ability to manage stress. Stressors in the mind, body, and environment often lead to chronic stresses that impair physiological responses. For example, in response to stress, your body may increase inflammation and blood pressure; stop digestion, repair, and immune efforts; and favor muscular activity. These responses to stress are appropriate in the short run as they would allow for effort to be put towards short-term survival or gaining resources. However, chronic elevation of these responses can be met with disease of virtually any organ system. For example, stress can decrease stomach and intestinal lining to promote gastrointestinal ulcers. It can mar heart function to elevate blood pressure and lead to heart attack. It can decrease insulin sensitivity and lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Chronic stress has also been found to diminish immune function, promote epinephrine, and as a result, decrease the immune responses needed to protect against infections. This can also include infections that could lead to ulcers, and over time, chronic infections can promote inflammation in the body and stimulate the early aspects of some forms of cancer.

In the skin, especially on the extremities, decreased immune responses and increased inflammation can lead to overgrowth of skin bacteria that can lead to chronic inflammation and skin ulcers. Decreased blood flow, due to inflammation and failing immune function, can also decrease oxygen and nutrient levels to skin cells, leading to cell death and gangrene. A lifestyle that allows for the practice of mindfulness, healthy coping mechanisms, and relaxation exercises can help to temper these effects and can be like taking medication. Be aware of the daily stressors in your life, and employ a full lifestyle change that focuses on ways to help with stress relief. If you notice an increased amount of stress, take time to recognize the cause and mend the situation, or practice healthy stress remedies like yoga and tai chi, or communication and relationship training. This process will take time, but recognize the cause of the stress and confront it no matter how small to ensure you are living the healthiest life possible.

So, now do you know how to prevent gangrene? For more information or if you think you require treatment for gangrene, head down to our clinic, the Vascular and Interventional Centre Singapore, and seek medical attention from one of our specialists. You may contact us by calling us at +65 6694 6270 or email us at en*****@sg***********.com.