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Health Tip: Recognizing Gangrene

(HealthDay News) -- Gangrene occurs when body tissue dies due to lack of blood. It could be triggered by an injury or infection that affects the circulation, or certain diseases like diabetes or arteriosclerosis.

Common symptoms of gangrene are blue or black skin, lack of feeling, pain, and secretion of a foul-smelling discharge, says the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Internal organs, too, can become gangrenous, with symptoms including pain, fever, and gas in tissues beneath the skin.

Depending on the severity of tissue damage, the NLM says treatments may range from a prescription antibiotic to amputation of an affected body part. Less severe surgery may remove only dead tissue to help restore proper circulation.



-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Oct. 13, 2006

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