August 2011 - OutreachNC Magazine

32 OutreachNC • August 2011
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, African-Americans are
more than twice as likely to have a foot or
leg amputated due to diabetes than non-Hispanic
whites.
“Many studies have shown that African-Americans
have a higher prevalence
of medical conditions that
affect healing rates, including
wounds often related to
diabetes,” says David Strom,
M.D., medical director of the
Wound Care and Hyperbaric
Center at FirstHealth Moore
Regional Hospital.
Dr. Strom and the staff of
the Wound Care & Hyperbaric
Center offer these tips to help
Dr. David Strom reduce their risk of underlying
conditions for chronic wounds:
Be informed: Twice as many African-American
adults are diagnosed with diabetes by a doctor, and
Hospital Health
Ethnicity plays role in risk for chronic wounds
they are twice as likely to die from the disease as
compared to non-Hispanic whites. Talk to your doctor
about your family history and other risk factors.
Feet first: Nearly eight out of 10 African-
Americans ages 40 and older with diabetes had a
foot examination in 2006. It is especially important
for diabetics to perform foot inspections daily and to
have their feet examined at least once a year by their
health care provider.
Step it up: Only 26 percent of African-Americans
over the age of 17 participate in a regular leisure
physical activity. Exercise and physical activity can
lead to better circulation, and improving the flow of
oxygen to wounds is an important factor in healing.
Go slow: Extra pounds can worsen conditions
that hinder wound healing and more than half of
all African-American women over the age of 19 are
categorized as obese while 37 percent of African-
American men of the same age fall into this group.
Since it takes our stomachs 20 minutes to tell our
brains that we are full, consider using teaspoons,
salad forks, children’s utensils or even chopsticks to
help you take smaller bites and eat less.
Bring it down: About 40 percent of African-
American men and women have hypertension. Help
control your blood pressure by setting aside “me”
time every day to stop multi-tasking and relax even
if it is just taking a long bath, enjoying a favorite
television show or listening to calming music.
Put it out: While cigarette smoking has declined,
nearly one in four African-American men smoke
compared to 18 percent of African-American women.
Smoking can lead to hardening of the arteries and
higher glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood.
Have it looked at: Seek treatment if a wound has
not healed in 30 days or shows signs of infection
such as an increase in pain, redness or swelling,
foul wound odor or a change in color or amount of
drainage from the wound.
For more information, contact FirstHealth Moore
Regional Hospital’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center
at (910) 715-5901 or visit www.firsthealth.org/wound.
www.OutreachNC.com