Essential Tips for Effective Wound Care

Chronic wounds are slow-healing wounds or wounds that fail to heal or heal but tend to recur. Though common, chronic wounds require effective wound care for proper healing and preventing skin breakdown. Otherwise, they can lead to an infection which may cause sepsis (releasing chemicals into the bloodstream that result in organ failure or death). Visit your doctor for proper wound management and care.

Causes of Chronic Wounds

Common factors contributing to chronic wounds include:

• Immobility or limited mobility

It restricts blood flow to the tissues surrounding the wound, thus delaying healing.

•  Trauma

The healing will be slower when bare skin or wounded areas are significantly damaged due to traumatic injuries or burns.

•  Infection

Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections on the wound site can also delay the healing process.

• Diabetes

Diabetic patients may have poor blood circulation. This makes it difficult for your body to supply nutrients to wounds, resulting in slow healing. 

• Atherosclerosis

A minor injury or scrape can also turn into a chronic wound due to atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque or cholesterol in the arteries that cause poor blood flow).

• Vein Disorders

Poor blood circulation caused by vein disorders in the legs can lead to chronic swelling with skin changes, causing ulceration.

• Wound Treatment

Your doctor may recommend any of the following treatment options depending on the nature of your wound.

• Antibiotics

The first step in wound care is treating any infection in the wound. Your doctor will perform a swab test to determine the type of bacteria causing the infection and then prescribe a suitable antibiotic.

• Removing Dead Tissue

If your wound contains any dead skin or tissue, your doctor will remove it from your wound to reduce the infection, drainage, and odor from it. This is typically done through a scalpel or, in certain cases, a biological debriding agent.

• Wound Dressings

Typically, cleaning a wound with water and dressing it with the right materials that are absorbent and impregnated with antibiotics is enough to accelerate healing. These dressing materials help to keep the wound slightly moist to promote healing.

• Negative Pressure Wound Dressings

A wound involving tissue loss or exposing bone or tendon may require negative pressure dressing. These wounds are dressed with a sponge-like dressing material and then covered with an air-tight plastic connected to a suction pump. The pump produces pressure to pull the wound edges together and stimulates new tissue growth.

• Relieving Pressure

Excessive pressure on the wound tissues can cause foot or heel ulcers and delays healing. Therefore, your doctor may recommend special shoes to relieve pressure.  This is especially effective in treating diabetic foot ulcers.

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

Sufficient oxygen levels in the tissues are essential for quick healing. To increase the oxygen level, persons with low oxygen levels are given hyperbaric oxygen treatment (breathing high oxygen concentrations at high pressures for short periods).

• Biologic Dressings

These dressing materials made of human skin or animal tissues are used to treat difficult wounds. They provide scaffolding for the growth of new cells into the wound and are particularly effective when other methods fail to achieve adequate wound healing. 

Tips for Accelerating Wound Healing

Here are some tips which can help to ensure faster-wound healing:

• Avoid cleaning your wound with chemicals
• Quit smoking
• Control your blood sugar
• Do not keep your wound open or wet
• Increase your protein intake to expedite healing 
• Get medical help if your wound is worsening or not healing properly 

Are you experiencing a chronic wound? Contact us today at North Atlanta Vascular Clinic and Vein Center if you experience slow wound healing due to vein or vascular issues. We treat various vein and vascular issues with outstanding results, including DVT, atherosclerosis, spider veins, and more.