A chronic wound is one that doesn’t heal, heals slowly, or heals but keeps coming back. Chronic (ongoing) skin wounds can have a variety of causes, such as trauma, burns, skin malignancies, infections, or underlying medical problems like diabetes. Long-lasting wounds require specific attention.
Chronic wounds’ root causes
Among the several reasons of a persistent skin wound are:
- having bed sores or other injuries that prevent movement and are caused by localized pressure
- Skin damage from severe trauma
- Incisions formed during surgery run the risk of infection and take a long time to heal.
- large burns
- underlying illnesses like diabetes or a few other kinds of vascular dysfunction
- Certain infections, like the Mycobacterium ulcerans (Bairnsdale or Buruli ulcers) Trophic ulcers, when a lack of feeling allows daily damage to cause an ulcer, like in diabetic neuropathy and leprosy.
The recovery procedure
An open wound on the skin heals in a predictable way. If one or more of the healing stages are hindered, a wound may not heal. The stages of typical wound healing include:
- The site’s blood arteries constrict (tighten) during the inflammatory stage to stop blood loss, and platelets (special clotting cells) assemble to form a clot. Blood arteries enlarge after the clot has formed to maximize blood flow to the site.
- Because of this, a healed wound initially feels heated and appears red. To eliminate microorganisms and other foreign objects, white blood cells flood the area. Along the wound, skin cells proliferate and expand.
- Collagen, the protein fiber that provides skin its strength, begins to develop inside the wound during the fibroblastic stage. Collagen development promotes the wound’s margins to condense and shut. Capillaries, which are tiny blood veins, develop there to supply the new skin with blood.
- The body continuously produces additional collagen and refines the injured area during the maturation period. It can take months or perhaps years to complete. Because of this, scars tend to diminish over time, and we must continue to care for wounds even after they have healed.
Barriers to wound healing
- Because of this, a healed wound initially feels heated and appears red. To eliminate microorganisms and other foreign objects, white blood cells flood the area. Along the wound, skin cells proliferate and expand.
- Collagen, the protein fiber that provides skin its strength, begins to develop inside the wound during the fibroblastic stage. Collagen development promotes the wound’s margins to condense and shut. Capillaries, which are tiny blood veins, develop there to supply the new skin with blood.
- The body continuously produces additional collagen and refines the injured area during the maturation period. It can take months or perhaps years to complete. Because of this, scars tend to diminish over time, and we must continue to care for wounds even after they have healed.
- Age: Older people’s wounds typically heal more slowly.
- The body’s natural healing process may be hampered by various medications or treatments used to treat specific medical disorders.
- Smoking – tobacco use hinders recovery and raises the possibility of problems.
- Restricted blood flow and swelling from varicose veins can cause skin breakdown and chronic ulceration.
- Dryness: Wounds that are exposed to the air, like leg ulcers, are less likely to heal. Skin cells and immune cells, among other types of healing cells, require a wet environment.
diagnostic techniques
To be able to control the underlying causes, the chronic wound’s cause must be found. For instance, if diabetes is the cause of a leg or foot ulcer, your doctor may assess how well your blood sugar levels are being managed and may suggest that you visit a podiatrist to avoid recurrence ulcers in the future. Surgical vein therapy may be necessary if a varicose vein-related ulcer develops. Methods for diagnosing a chronic wound include:
- physical examination that includes looking at the incision and evaluating the local blood and nerve supplies
- Medical history, including details about ongoing illnesses, recent surgeries, and medications you now or previously used
- urine and blood tests
- biopsies of the injury
- Culture the wound to check for any microorganisms (pathogenic) that can cause disease.
alternative therapies
Your age, general health, and the type of injury you have will all influence the course of treatment your doctor suggests. General medical care could consist of:
- cleaning a fresh wound to eliminate debris and grime. In the shower, this is done frequently and delicately.
- It could be advised to have a tetanus shot in some trauma scenarios.
- A deep wound may require surgical exploration. Prior to the examination, a local anesthetic will be administered.
- surgically removing dead skin. We’ll administer a local anesthetic.
- stapling or using stitches to close big wounds.
- taking care of the wound. Your doctor will select a dressing based on the nature and severity of the wound. The majority of the time, a moist dressing will be suggested by the doctor for persistent wounds.
- using drugs to treat pain. Blood vessel constriction brought on by pain might delay healing. Inform your doctor if the wound is making you uncomfortable. The doctor might advise you to take over-the-counter medications like paracetamol or might give you a prescription for more potent analgesics.
- treating infection-related symptoms such pain, pus, and fever. If necessary, the doctor will recommend antibiotics and antimicrobial dressings.
- examining your other prescription drugs. Some pharmaceuticals, including steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, prevent the body from mending.
Self-care recommendations
In addition to following your doctor’s instructions, avoid using medications that slow down the body’s natural healing process if at all possible. For instance, anti-inflammatory medications (such over-the-counter aspirin) will impair immune system cell function. Get a list of medications to avoid in the near future from your doctor.
- Be sure to eat healthy food. To support the healing process, your body requires healthy meals.
- Include vitamin C-rich foods in your diet. Collagen production in the body requires vitamin C. Daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables will also provide your body with additional nutrients necessary for wound healing, such as vitamin A, copper, and zinc. Adding more vitamins C to your diet could be beneficial.