According to a study the number gangrene cases treated in the USA hospital has been increased alarmingly. In 2003 45,000 people were detected of this condition and now the number seems to be more than the double. In the wake of this it becomes mandatory that people become aware about this syndrome and learn to identify its symptoms early to avoid any sort for further deadly consequences, which is usually outcome of this disease. The surprising factor however, is that many children are also being diagnosed with this disorder. This makes it even more essential to spread awareness about this life threatening syndrome.

Gangrene is a term used to describe the dead or dying of the body tissues which occurs because of the insufficient blood supply to the tissue it could have been either caused due to the inadequate supply of the blood of complete loss of blood circulation to the affected tissue which results in the death of the tissue. As we know that blood is the only component in the body which is supposed to carry all the vital nutrients that the tissue need to stay alive and healthy. If this essential process stops then there is no surprise that people will actually have some grave health conditions and disorders. As the blood supply to the nearby tissues stops , the awful looking and painful gangrene starts forming. It is usually in a dirty brown coloured. It starts spreading across the body slowly and    proves to be fatal in most cases where the medical has not been sought in the early stages, itself.

Even before we understand what are the symptoms it is essential to know that there are two types, one is dry and another is wet. Wet gangrene is also termed as ‘moist’ at times and if left untreated it could prove to be the most dangerous type. This one is the result on an untreated skin infection which has reduced and eventually stopped (due to swelling, gas production o bacterial toxins) the blood supply to important and sensitive tissues of the body. While the dry gangrene on the other hand if not developed to the wet one can be less threatening and be cured to a great extent. Dry one to lead to any threatening stage takes a lot of time months of years. It produces discoloured and cool appendages without the presence of any fluid or pus, unlike the wet one.

Each of these types have their individual symptoms depending upon which organ systems have been affected. In dry gangrene the affected area first begins numb and cool, followed quickly by discolouring turning the skin to reddish to brown and then forming black wounds. On the other hand with wet one begins typically with swelling and the affected area started showing decay signs such as sloughing tissue, pus, fluid, etc. And it grows quickly as it becomes black and at super fast speed. In this type fever and severe pain in the affected area is very common.

So it is essential that even slightest doubt should be brought into doctor’s notice.