Chronic non-healing wounds, Texas

Chronic non-healing wounds, Texas are wounds that do not improve after four weeks and do not heal in eight or more weeks. These are wounds that failed to progress through a timely sequence of repair or treatment.

Non-healing wounds lead to infections. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas can infect non-healing wounds because the wounds are opened. These infections often lead to serious medical conditions and may cause the affected parts of the body to be amputated.

Diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous-related ulcerations, wounds related to metabolic disease, non-healing surgical wounds, and wounds that break down repeatedly are examples of non-healing wounds.

Causes of non-healing wounds

Causes of non-healing wounds include:

Lack of adequate nutrition

When adequate nutrients such as vitamins, zinc, calcium, etc are lacking in your body, it could lead to non-healing wounds.

Diabetes

Diabetes, also known as high blood sugar can affect the circulation of blood. Diabetes can also damage the nerves that are responsible for pain transmission. When nerves are damaged, the body won’t know that there is a wound or something that hurts and because of this, the body won’t be able to fight the wound and heal it.

Infections

When you have a slow wound healing process, the wound opens up. This allows bacteria to enter into the wound and cause infection which leads to more damages.

Poor circulation of red blood cells

Red blood cells are responsible for replacing dead cells with new cells. The red blood cells replace the dead cells with new ones when you have a wound or injury, causing the wound to heal.

When you have poor circulation of red blood cells, the red blood cells will move at a slow pace which delays or slow down the healing process of the wound.

Specific forms of medications

There are some medications that could hinder the healing process of a wound. Medications such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy have powerful chemicals that could affect the immune system and hinder healing process.

Anti-inflammatory drugs could also hinder the inflammatory stage that the body needs to go through in the healing process. Some antibiotics could also kill good bacteria in the body which could affect the wound site.

Excessive alcohol intake

Excessive intake of alcohol decreases the amount of important white blood cells that fight against bacteria in the body. This leads to a decrease in the healing process of wounds. It also increases the risk of getting infected.

Bed Sores

Lying on the bed for a long time causes pressure to be exerted on a particular part of the body. The pressure is exerted on the areas of the body that presses against the bed. The pressure reduces the healing process of the wound and could lead to infection.

Peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease is a circulatory problem that narrows the arteries that transmit blood flow to the limbs. It hinders the flow of blood to the legs. The lack of enough flow of blood to the leg causes the lack of white blood cells and red blood cells that helps in the healing process of wounds.

Smoking

Cigarettes contain nicotine which is a vasoconstrictor. It reduces the nutritional blood flow to the skin. This leads to tissue ischemia and hinders the healing process of injured tissues.

Symptoms of a non-healing wound

Symptoms of non-healing wound include:

• Increased pain
• Slow healing process
• Redness, swelling and warmth around the wound site
• Pus and fluids coming out of the wound.
• Bad smell or odor coming out of the wound

Treatment of non-healing wounds

Treatment of non-healing wounds typically follows a pattern or steps. These treatment steps include:

Debridement

Treatment of non-healing surgical wounds first starts with debridement. This is removing the dead tissues from the surface of the wound.

Cleaning the wound

The next step is properly cleaning the wound to remove all impurities and bacteria. Clean the wound with iodine to allow for easy application of medications.

Applying medications

After cleaning the wound, the next step is applying medications to the wound. Medications such as antibiotics, anti-platelets, or anti-clotting medications are applied to prevent infection and facilitate the healing process. Over-the-counter medications and creams such as silver sulphadiazine cream, polyhexamethylene biguanide gel or solutions, iodine, and medical-grade honey in ointment or gel form can also be applied.

Bandage

After applying the necessary medications, you should bandage the wound to cover the wound and prevent bacteria from entering. Bandaging the wound also compresses the affected area which aids circulation.

Surgery

Surgery is the last treatment option when all other conservative treatments have failed to improve your condition. Surgical procedures may be done to take the pressure off the affected area. Surgical procedures involve shaving down the bone or removing foot deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, or bumps.

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