Why are not my wounds healing soon?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a traveler. Recently, I noticed that any of my cuts were taking a very long time to heal and are never fully recovering. They are leaving a small scar or discoloration. Initially, I thought that the cut did not heal as I was in the water every day for a few hours. Insect bites are the worst for this. They are scabbing up (when I scratch) and leaving behind scars on my skin. I have traveled a lot from my young age and have never experienced this before. I should have got in touch a few days ago, but I thought it would heal. I am generally healthy and in good shape. Also, I frequently go to the gym.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. The cut seems to be healed now as most of it show scarring. Other than that, the marks appear from scratching the skin might be due to irritation.Also, the bite is clearly visible and does not look serious. Certain mosquitoes are more notorious for causing itching over the skin more than others. A local cream or ointment to prevent insect bite is best and utmost necessity for you while traveling to disease-borne areas. These come in different brands, but a local one is most effective on locally prevalent insects. It is essential for you to prevent bites, not just for the itching or wound healing, but more to prevent any serious illnesses such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya mostly. Since you notice a delayed healing, it could be a blood problem that is causing it and you must get a blood test done for PT (prothrombin time), INR (international normalized ratio), clotting time and bleeding time. Once you have the results you can consult with the reports. This does not look too severe as of yet, but beware of catching on to local sicknesses and you should be fine.