10 Symptoms of Gangrene

Gangrene is what happens when soft tissues in the body become starved of oxygen and die. This is generally caused by lack of blood flow to the tissue or an infection. Gangrene commonly develops on the outermost extremities such as the hands and feet, but it can affect any soft tissue in the body, including your organs.

Gangrene comes in two main varieties. The first is called dry gangrene, and it tends to develop in people who have diabetes, blood vessel disease, or an autoimmune disorder. It starts on either the tips of the fingers or the tips of the toes. It’s named dry gangrene because the affected areas dry out until they appear to be mummified. Infection is not normally present with dry gangrene.

1. Blister

Many people first notice a blister on their toes or fingers. When infection is present in the body, swelling of the skin occurs and can cause this. Everyone gets them now and then, so it’s not likely the the sight of a blister will set off any alarm bells for many people. If you have a condition or disease that puts you at higher risk for developing gangrene, you should be wary of any appearing on your extremities.

The body normally would begin the process of fighting the infection and repairing the damaged tissue, but if blood can’t flow through the limb then the body can’t fight the infection. The stagnant blood in the limb because a home for the bacteria causing the infection to multiply. The more the the bacteria multiply the more the limb will swell.