Gangrene Essay

Gangrene is a condition that occurs when body tissue dies. However, in the book Whale Talk, Andy Mott states, â€Å"Gangrene †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (is) â€Å"†¦ rot. † (p. 134) Technically he is right. It is caused by a loss of blood supply due to an underlying illness, injury, and/or infection. Gangrene is probably one of the worse types of infections that can result in an amputation. Fingers, toes, and limbs are most often affected, but gangrene can also occur inside the body, damaging organs and muscles. There are different types of gangrene and all require immediate medical attention. Blood plays a very important role in your health. Not only does it transport oxygen and nutrients throughout your body to feed cells, it delivers disease-fighting antibodies that protect your body from infection. When blood cannot travel freely throughout the body, your cells cannot survive. Infection can develop and tissue can die from gangrene. So, Andy Mott’s blood in his leg could not travel freely. In the book Whale Talk Andy states, â€Å"My mom’s boyfriend (Rance Haskins)†¦ he’d tie my leg to the pipe under the kitchen sink†¦I’d been there almost twenty-four hours†¦ I guess I kept trying to get away†¦ and the knot just got tighter. † (p. 65) Any condition that affects blood flow increases your risk of gangrene, including: Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, Peripheral arterial disease, Trauma, or injury. Injuries that leave a portion of muscle tissue deprived of oxygen make a perfect home for infections. Some of the cells in a wound are already dead, and the infection starts in these. â€Å"Crush† injuries are most likely to cut off blood supply to a large amount of tissue, and are most prone to gangrene. The infection usually strikes the hands or legs, where blood supply is most easily cut off. In Andy Mott’s case gangrene affected his leg. He said, â€Å"†¦ my foot was discolored all the way to my calf†¦they had to whack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (his leg)†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ off before it snuck up and got something really important. † (p. 165) Surgery can also produce areas of died tissue. This is common in people who have preexisting vascular problems, or risk factors for heart disease. For example, high cholesterol can make blood more likely to clot. A person with high cholesterol is more likely to have more clotted blood vessels after surgery. The tissue that’s normally fed by those blood vessels can run out of oxygen, allowing bacteria to multiply and gangrene to start. Serious diseases that interfere with blood flow can cut off oxygen supplied to arms or legs, even when there’s no trauma or injury. For example, peripheral vascular disease in which blood flow to the legs is poor and can deprive a foot or leg of blood or oxygen and cause gangrene. People with diabetes are prone to gangrene in the feet. Diabetes-related infections are the most common reason for foot amputation. Severe frostbite (due to overexposure to the cold) can also lead to gangrene due to lack of blood flow to the tissues. Your arteries carry blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. When the arteries in your legs become blocked, your legs do not receive enough blood or oxygen, and you may have a condition called peripheral artery disease, sometimes called leg artery disease. In severe peripheral artery disease, you may develop painful sores on your toes or feet. If the circulation in your leg does not improve, these ulcers can start as dry, gray, or black sores, and eventually become dead tissue resulting in gangrene. The presence of atherosclerotic disease (a disease in which arteries are stiff and hard, with fatty deposits blocking blood flow) is a major factor to gangrene, particularly in the toes, feet, and legs. Gangrene is caused by a loss of blood supply due to an underlying illness, injury, and/or infection, like: Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, Peripheral arterial disease, Trauma, or injury. This is why gangrene is probably one of the worse types of infections that can result in an amputation. But when you really think about it, it could be so much worse!