Injuries are very common to experience, and injuries may even vary based on numerous factors. Open wounds are also injuries that cause damage or breakage to surface tissues of the body and internal organs. It is common to get wounds, and almost every person experiences them at some point in life. Minor wounds are easy to manage and treat at home without professional assistance.

However, wounds resulting from a major accident or trauma with heavy bleeding do require medical care. It is important to carefully handle major wounds as this may lead to heavy blood loss, and on the other hand, it is also an easy source for germs to get into the body.

Importance Of Wound Care

Whether minor or major, wounds are painful and require proper care for numerous reasons. Negligence and mishandling can lead to serious consequences and delayed recovery. Here are some important factors that make it crucial to properly handle wounds.

1. Preventing Infections

Proper wound care is extremely important to avoid any infection and complications. Wounds occur on the surface and are usually open, making them more exposed to germs. Never forget to properly clean wounds and apply dressing on them.

Make sure to keep changing dressing and bandages to see the progress of the wound. Make sure to observe any abnormality such as smell or discharge and seek immediate medical care.

2. Speed Healing

Proper wound care is essentially important for speedy healing. Leaving wounds uncovered and unaddressed will cause them to heal at a relatively slow pace. Thus, in order to ensure quick healing of wounds, make sure to handle it with all necessary protocols. However, there are many factors that may result in delayed recovery despite handling it properly.

3. Minimize Scarring

Taking proper care of wounds will not only help to make wounds heal faster, but it will also help to avoid and minimize skin scarring. Regularly applying prescribed skin ointment will also help to keep the skin moist and soft. Also, avoid scratching and peeling skin around the wound as it might make it worse.

Factors That Affect Wound Healing

There are many factors that can possibly interrupt and delay the normal healing process of wounds. Experts believe that there are many factors such as lifestyle and certain medications that directly affect the healing process. Let us go through some prominent factors.

1. Age

With ageing, the natural ability of wound healing also decreases noticeably. The ability of the body to produce new skin cells significantly deteriorates with age. In addition to skin thinning, the delayed inflammatory response is also an outcome of ageing. These ageing factors cause a delay in a normal wound healing capacity.

2. Alcohol Consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with the healing process of wounds. It may also make scarring worse. This is a major aspect of one lifestyle that affects and deteriorates the natural healing process. Thus it is better to avoid alcohol for a speedier recovery. Many times addiction is beyond one’s control and requires treatment to overcome it.

In such cases approaching a rehab center is a good option. However, there are a number of frequently asked questions regarding addiction treatment to develop an understanding of the whole procedure. There are a number of ways one can get all information about treatment, such as provided hotline numbers and provided information on websites.

3. Nutrition

A property that is rich in all essential nutrients is also very essential for speedy wound healing. Malnutrition will cause a delay in wound healing as the body lacks the nutrients required for collagen synthesis. Thus a healthy, well-balanced diet is not only important for good health and well-being it is also very important for wound healing.

4. Obesity

It is observed that an obese person is more likely to observe a delay in wound healing as compared to those who manage an ideal weight. Experts also believe that with obesity, the risk of infection is also increased, which also a major cause of the delayed wound is healing. A healthy lifestyle will help to avoid obesity and consequent health issues.

5. Repeated Trauma

This is mostly experienced when a person goes through numerous surgical procedures followed by repeated incisions at the same place. If a person accidentally gets wounded over the same area, then experts believe that such kind of repeated trauma over surface tissues also causes a delay in the wound healing process.

6. Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a condition that also interferes with the healing process of wounds. People with diabetes must be very careful of wounds as firstly, it heals at a relatively slow pace and secondly, it may also lead to other complications and health issues.

In order to promote healing in diabetic patients, it is very important to manage normal glucose levels in the blood. Diabetic people usually experience a delay in wound healing due to lack of sensation and poor blood flow. In addition to diabetes, there are other conditions that may also cause a delay in wound healing, such as autoimmune disease.

7. Dry Skin

Patients who have relatively dry skin are also likely to experience delayed wound healing. Continuous scratching and rubbing skin may not allow the skin to heal adequately. Sometimes the dryness in the skin is because of dehydration and is reversible. Skin needs an adequate fluid level to function and heal properly.

8. Wound Infection

Normally all wounds are exposed and contaminated with bacteria. Those who have relatively weaker immunity are more likely to get wound infections. The wound infection also affects the healthy tissues around the wound. It may also trigger the body’s natural response against infection resulting in inflammation and delay in the healing process.

Take Away

Wounds are very common, and everyone experiences them. However, individuals are not the same hence;, the healing process may also vary from one person to another person. There are many factors that can also cause a delay in the recovery process. These factors can easily be overcome with the help of medication and expert advice.