What Is Pressure Ulcer? How Wound Care Surgeons Can Help You?
What Is Pressure Ulcer?
Some people know pressure ulcers by their more common name — “Bed Sores’’. Also known as pressure sores, or decubitus ulcers, they may arise when you lie or sit in the same position for too long and the weight of your body is not capable of ensuring efficient blood supply against the surface of the bed or chair. But what is a pressure ulcer exactly? It is an injury to the skin and underlying tissues caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. No wonder they happen on those parts which cover the bone areas of the body such as the heels, ankles, hips, and tailbone, etc. If you have medical conditions, you are more prone to develop pressure ulcers. Here taking help and consultation of Pressure Ulcer Treatment will be a wise idea to ensure effective, quicker, and proper healing.
What Are The Warning Signs of Pressure Ulcer?
1. A discolored part of the skin. For example, red patches in people with pale skin or purple or blue patches in people with dark skin.
2. The affected area feels warm and spongy.
3. Pain or itchiness in the affected area
4. An open wound or blister
5. Swelling
6. Pus-like drainage etc.
What Causes Pressure Ulcer?
A pressure ulcer is caused when there is prolonged pressure against the skin that reduces the blood flow to the affected area. To put it simply, when a person is lying on a certain part of their body for a long period, it may cause their skin to break down. They commonly occur in the areas around the hips, heels, and tailbone. Apart from prolonged pressure, excessive moisture or skin irritants such as urine or feces due to poor hygiene can also cause a pressure ulcer.
Who Is At More Risk Of Developing Pressure Ulcer?
Though anyone can get a pressure ulcer, the people with the following conditions are more prone to develop them. Take a look:
- People with an inability to move or change their positions by themselves while lying in the bed or sitting in a wheelchair.
- If you are an older adult and have more fragile and delicate skin.
- Obesity
- A poor diet with insufficient nutrients or poor eating habits can contribute to a pressure ulcer.
- If you have diabetes that may restrict your blood circulation can cause tissue destruction and increase the risk of pressure ulcer.
How To Treat Pressure Ulcers?
If any person is suffering from pressure ulcers, frequently changing the positions can help heal the wounds properly. However, the treatment can vary from person to person depending on the stage and conditions of the patient’s wounds. The treatment includes:
- Proper medications
- Specific dressing recommendations by Pressure Ulcer Wound Care to protect the wound and speed-up healing. The suitable options are antimicrobial, or hydrocolloid, or the dressing that consists of alginic acid, etc.
- Lifestyle changes such as repositioning frequently or use of off-loading cushions as well as maintaining a healthy diet.
- Treatment of existing infection, if any
- Surgery to remove dead tissues and help the wound heal quicker.
- Consumption of required antibiotics etc.
When To Contact Wound Care Services?
If you are noticing any of these warning signs, you need to change your position to allow blood flow to your affected area. If there is no improvement in 24 to 28 hours, you need to contact Pressure ulcer treatment. Additionally, if there are signs of infections such as fever, drainage from sore or smelling sore or increased redness with warmth or swelling around the sore, you should seek immediate wound care help.
How Wound Care Surgeons Can Help You Treat Pressure Ulcer?
Depending upon the type and severity of the wounds, the doctors and physicians at Wound Care Surgeons generate the most suitable and appropriate treatment plan as well as use the latest technologies to cure the pressure ulcer.
The procedure of healing pressure ulcers is a complex task. It requires extra care and attentive treatment approaches with regular wound care, dressing, and quality medication to effectively heal. In this scenario, the patients with pressure ulcers are advised to get wound care in the comfort of their own home and to help such types of patients, our qualified, expert, and experienced team of nurses, doctors, and physicians comes and visits your home to have a thorough check on the current condition of wounds. They conduct a multidisciplinary approach of treatment and come up with a customized and suitable treatment plan depending on the severity of the case.’
Just schedule a bedside appointment with us and our executive will get in touch with you to send our team to visit your home. We do not only eliminate readmission costs for the healthcare services but also save time, money, and energy for patients by mitigating travel hours and traffic struggles. Book an appointment with us and ensure effective wound healing with our certified and experienced nurses.
Related Read: https://woundcaresurgeon.medium.com/pressure-ulcers-causes-symptoms-stages-and-treatment-f557d617ecba