Open Wound and Moist Wound Healing and Treatment in Lubbock TX, an injury involving an external or internal break in the body tissue, usually involving the skin is known as an open wound.
Most common causes of open wounds include accidents with sharp objects, car accidents, falls, and hitting the legs against hard objects.
Puncture Wound Care and Infected Wound Treatment in Lubbock TX
Almost everyone will experience an open wound at some point in their life, either minor or severe open wounds.
Types of open wounds
Types of open wounds
There are four types of open wounds. These include:
Abrasion
An abrasion occurs when your skin rubs or scrapes against a hard or rough surface. Road accidents can cause abrasion. Abrasion can cause a lot of bleeding and if not timely treated can get infected.
Laceration
A laceration is a deep cut or tearing of your skin that can be caused by sharp objects such as knife, and other sharp pointed objects. Laceration can lead to rapid and excessive bleeding. Laceration requires immediate medical attention.
Puncture
A puncture is a small hole dug into the skin that is caused by a long, pointy object, such as a nail or needle. Punctures may not lead to rapid bleeding but they can go very deep into the body to damage vital internal organs. If not timely treated, a puncture could lead to infection.
Avulsion
An avulsion is a partial or complete tearing or peeling of the skin and the underlying tissue. Fatal accidents and explosions can lead to avulsions.
Treatment of open wounds
Minor open wounds can be treated at home using home remedies but severe open wounds require the attention and care of a wound care specialist.
Home care for minor open wounds
Treatment of open wounds
Home care remedies for minor open wounds include:
Washing and disinfecting the wound
When you sustain a minor wound, the first thing you should do is to wash the wound to remove dirt, debris and clean blood off the surface of the wound. Apply pressure on the wound to reduce the bleeding.
Elevating
If possible, you can also elevate the part of your body that is injured to reduce bleeding.
Apply ice if you have bruising or swelling
Applying ice for 15-20 minutes can help reduce and swelling.
Ointment
You can also apply ointment to the wound area to aid healing.
Bandage
Minor wounds can heal without bandages. You may bandage the wound if the wound is much opened. Always keep the wound clean and dry.
Pain relievers
You can take pain relievers such as acetaminophen if you feel increased pain. Avoid pain medications with aspirins as they can cause prolonged bleeding.
Medical treatment
If an open wound is deeper than 1/2 inch and bleeds for more than 20 minutes, it likely requires medical treatment. An open wound from a car accident and more severe cases require immediate medical attention.
Medical treatment
There are different techniques that your wound care specialist can use to treat open wounds. These include:
Cleaning
Cleaning the wound is the first course of action. The wound will be cleaned to clear off dirt, debris, and blood from its surface.
Numbing the wound
Your wound care specialist may numb the wound using a numbing agent to reduce pain and excess bleeding.
Closing the wound
Your wound care specialist may close the wound using sutures, stitches, or skin glue to prevent excess bleeding and aid quick healing. Closing the wound also helps to prevent infection. Your wound care specialist may also not close the wound if the cut is not so deep. This allows the wound to heal naturally. However, this could lead to infection and tetanus attack.
Dressing the wound
Dressing the wound with bandages help to aid faster recovery and prevent infection. Certain ointments and medications may be applied to the wound before dressing. Dressing the wound keeps the wound clean and also prevents excess bleeding.
Pain medication
Severe open wounds commonly cause increased pain that could be unbearable. Your doctor may prescribe pain medications for pain relief. Penicillin and other antibiotics may also be prescribed to prevent bacterial infection and to aid quick recovery.
How long does it take for an open wound to heal?
The length of time it takes for an open wound to heal depends on how large or deep the wound is. It may take a few months to up to a year or more for a wound to completely heal.
A minor wound will heal much faster than a large wound. Wounds may also heal much faster if they are closed or dressed.
If you have a large severe open wound, immediately seek the attention of a wound care specialist like Southwest regional wound care center.
Moist wound healing
Medical research has shown that creating moist wound conditions accelerates the healing process and also reduces the risk of scarring and scabs.
When wounds are left to dry in the air, scabs are commonly formed. This makes it hard for a dry wound to close itself. When a wound is dry, new skin tissue will have a tough time forming.
For a wound to form new skin tissue, new cells need to form. Moist wound conditions encourage the growth of new cells.
Creating a moist wound condition helps to encourage the growth of new cells and causes wounds to heal faster.
Moist wound healing promotes the growth and migration of new cells. It also ensures that essential proteins for the healing of your wound are present.
Creating a moist wound condition is the best way to ensure faster healing of your wound and to reduce the risk of scabs and scarring.
