Symptoms of Gangrene: Key Signs and When to Seek Help

Posted on: Mar 24, 2025 | | Written by: None

Symptoms of Gangrene: Key Signs and When to Seek Help

A bacterial infection or improper blood flow can lead to the death or damage of body tissues, resulting in gangrene. While the arms and legs are the most common body parts affected by gangrene, internal organs, like the gallbladder and muscles, are sometimes also affected by this disease.

Bacterial infections and a lack of blood flow cause wet gangrene, which is characterised by blisters and pus. However, problems related to the peripheral artery are the most common cause of dry gangrene. Depending on the severity of the gangrene, antibiotics, surgeries, and oxygen therapy are the common treatment methods.

To ensure you get the right treatment for this condition, you should carefully watch out for the symptoms of gangrene.

What are the Symptoms of Gangrene?

Here are the symptoms of gangrene when the skin is affected:

• Frequent changes in skin tone like purple, blue, black, grey, red, or bronze.

• Swelling of the affected areas

• Blisters

• Acute pain in the affected areas

• Numbness, usually after severe pain

• Pus, with a foul smell, emanating from the blisters and sores

• Skin becoming hairless, thin, pale and shiny

• Skin feeling cold all the time

• Profuse sweating

• Anxiety

• Decrease in appetite

When internal organs are affected:

• Frequent fever, with temperature being mild always

• An overall feeling of sluggishness

• Severe fatigue

Gangrene symptoms of septic shock (a condition when gangrene affects the entire body) include:

• A sharp decrease in blood pressure levels

• Fever, with temperature going below the normal range in some people

• Dizziness

• Breathlessness

• Palpitations

• Illogical thinking

Conclusion

The symptoms of gangrene can be quite different depending on the type and severity of the condition. It is good to be mindful of these signs and contact your doctor immediately to get the condition diagnosed. The treatment processes for gangrene, especially oxygen therapies and surgeries, can be quite expensive. However, if you have a health insurance policy, you can go through the process without worrying about the financial burden associated with medical costs.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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