Not feeling the pain
had subsided.
Apparently he had scrubbed that itch a bit too hard. Just those few moments of gratification of an itch well scratched under hot water went so wrong and he overdid it.
Going just minutes beyond what the skin could take caused a wound that took a long time to heal because he was diabetic, a double jeopardy.
Of course, we took him to the doctor for immediate attention and received the care he needed. Fortunately, the wound healed well but then the itch returned. We went from one dermatologist to another.
In the meantime, steroid creams prescribed to him had thinned out his skin after prolonged use. Dad was going out of his mind with the itch. No amount of antihistamines helped either. Dad had to learn to bear with the itch without further damaging his skin.
NO PAIN, NO COMPLAINT
My late mother had the other feature of not feeling pain in her extremities due to diabetes.
Her big toe had a small cut which became so badly infected that it swelled and the toenail actually moved! Of course we freaked out and sought immediate medical attention.
Her doctor told us that the cut could have been caused by anything from poorly fitted shoes, a small piece of grit in her socks, dry skin that broke and festered, or even accidently hitting something like a step or corner.
Mum didn’t feel the pain so she didn’t complain. She didn’t even feel the pain when it was red, swollen and infected.
Imagine if we hadn’t seen that. It could’ve gone septic and called for drastic measures. Foot care for diabetics is paramount, especially for the elderly who require assistance with personal necessities.
For some elderly people, sensations of pain, vibration, cold, heat, pressure and touch may have reduced. This was what happened to my parents who were both over 70 at the time these incidents took place.
While they couldn’t feel pain in their fingers and toes, their skin were more sensitive because it had thinned out with age. This also explains how and why bedsores can happen but they don’t feel the pain until it’s really bad.
They may be more sensitive to touch but not to hot or cold temperatures. It seems rather odd but both experiences taught us to be more aware of their condition. Is the room too hot or too cold? Sometimes even the fan feels too cold for them, let alone air-conditioning.
We also learnt not to assume that just because they don’t feel pain that the injury is insignificant. We sometimes can’t wait for them to complain because sometimes they just can’t.