Wound Care: Causes, Treatment Options, and Tips for Faster Healing

All types of wounds require specialized medical care from a qualified healthcare provider to ensure rapid healing without contamination, infection, or delayed recovery. This highlights the importance of choosing a professional, specialized, and reliable wound care service.

What Is Wound Care?

Proper and effective wound care involves the healthcare provider’s ability to understand the cause of the injury, apply appropriate treatment, and maintain a healthy environment for the wound to heal as quickly as possible, as proper wound management helps prevent infection and accelerate healing.

Causes of Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds are skin wounds that do not heal, heal slowly, or heal with potential recurrence. They undoubtedly require a long treatment period and specialized medical care. The most important causes of chronic wounds are:

• A severe injury or trauma to the skin that always results in wounds that are difficult to heal.
• Bed sores, which result from prolonged immobility, are among the most stubborn chronic wounds.
• Deep burns and wounds resulting from undergoing surgeries.
• Specific medical conditions, such as wounds in diabetic patients and patients with vascular diseases, are slow to heal.
• Wound contamination and infection with certain types of bacteria can lead to slow healing. Furthermore, loss of sensation in some limbs and frequent trauma without the patient’s concern can lead to recurrent wounding.

Furthermore, the patient’s frequent movement and inability to follow instructions independently can cause slow wound healing, highlighting the importance of resorting to home wound care services from a trusted service provider such as Lana Life Care.

The Wound Healing Process

The wound healing process involves 3 main stages, as follows:

• Inflammatory phase

As soon as the wound occurs, blood vessels at the site constrict to stop blood loss, and platelets gather to start forming a clot. Then, the blood vessels will dilate after the clot forms to allow blood flow to the wound. Therefore, the healing wound will initially appear warm and red.

• Fibroblastic phase

At this phase of wound healing, collagen will begin to grow inside the wound to encourage the edges of the wound to shrink and close, and new capillaries will be formed at the site of the wound to supply the new skin with blood.

• Maturation phase

The body will continue to produce more collagen to improve the appearance of the affected area, but the duration of this phase depends on the type, depth, and size of the wound, as it may take months or even years for the scars to completely disappear. Therefore, wound care must be continued for a period of time after healing.

Barriers to Wound Healing

Unfortunately, some obstacles and barriers prevent wound healing, the most prominent of which are:

• Inability to stop the bleeding caused by the wound, especially in the case of deep and large wounds.
• Failure to eliminate the cause of the wound, as is the case with bedsores, which result from prolonged immobility.
• Impaired platelet function and the inability to form a clot quickly in the wound area slow down wound healing.
• Weakened immunity and exposure of the wound to infection or contamination lead to slow wound healing.
• Seniors, smokers, and those who follow an unhealthy diet lacking essential vitamins and nutrients may experience slow wound healing.
• Damage or death of skin cells around the wound, known as necrosis, hinders the wound healing process.
• Patients with diabetes and anemia, who are treated with drugs such as blood thinners, suffer from slow wound healing.

Diagnosis and Assessment Methods

For a doctor or healthcare provider to successfully help a patient treat a chronic wound, it is essential to know its causes well. Among the most important methods for diagnosing and assessing the cause of chronic wounds are the following:

• The first step a doctor will take is a physical examination, during which the wound is examined, and the local nerve and blood supply to the wound area are assessed.
• Review the patient’s medical history to see if he suffers from chronic medical conditions, has undergone surgery recently, or follows a specific treatment plan, etc.
• In case of wound contamination, a swab can be taken from the wound, and a culture test can be performed to determine the type of microbe and the appropriate antibiotic.
• Sometimes the doctor may order some blood tests to determine the cause of the chronic wound.
• In advanced cases, a biopsy may be taken from the wound and examined.

Types of Wound Care Treatments

The type of wound treatment recommended by the doctor depends on the type of wound, the patient’s age, and their medical history. Some of the most important methods for treating chronic wounds include:

• Take some therapeutic drugs such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and painkillers if necessary.
• Regular cleansing and thoroughly disinfecting the wound, along with applying a suitable wound dressing.
• Surgically removing dead skin, closing large wounds with stitches or staples, and local anesthesia will be given before this procedure.
• Treating the underlying medical condition that causes slow wound healing, such as anemia caused by deficiencies in iron, vitamin C, zinc, and others.

Self-Care Tips for Managing Wounds at Home

Chronic wounds can be cared for at home, provided these tips and guidelines are followed:

• Dress and clean the wound daily or every other day. If you are unable to do this yourself, you can request wound care at home service.
• Avoid using washes, skin care products, or antiseptic sprays on chronic wounds, as they poison the cells responsible for wound healing.
• Make sure to follow a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals that boost immunity and promote overall health.
• Try to exercise as much as possible to stimulate blood circulation and enhance blood flow to all parts of the body, including the wound area.

When to See a Doctor

Some chronic wounds require immediate medical care, such as:

• High temperature, fever, and chills indicate an infection.
• Seeing pus and fluids in large quantities discharged from the wound.
• Severe and increasing pain from the wound.
• Continuous bleeding 

Where to Get Help for Wound Care

If you are a resident of the UAE and are suffering from a chronic wound that requires urgent care, please contact us at Lana Life Care Center. 

We will provide you with a specialist doctor who can assess the cause and severity of the wound and help you overcome it. We can also provide you with a specialized nurse or healthcare provider to clean and dress the wound at any time.

Why Choose Lana Life Care for Professional Wound Care Services?

Lana Life Care is ranked as the best and most prominent Home Healthcare provider in Dubai. We provide all types of Home Health Care in Dubai, including home wound care.

Whether you’re suffering from a chronic or acute wound, regardless of the cause, we offer home healthcare services provided by specialized and licensed doctors and nurses who can diagnose, assess, and help you with wound healing, along with precise dressing and providing you with necessary wound care, all in the comfort of your home.

Furthermore, our services are available 24/7 at excellent, unbeatable prices.

FAQs

What are the 5 rules of wound dressing?

The five 5 essential rules of wound dressing include:

• Rule #1: Maintain wound cleanliness.
• Rule #2: Employ clean, suitable dressings
• Rule #3: Regularly replace your dressings
• Rule #4: Finish your antibiotics
• Rule#5: Seek specialized wound care

What is proper wound care?

The proper wound care requires diagnosing the cause of the wound, reviewing the patient’s medical history, and then recommending the appropriate treatment method. 

What is the hardest wound to heal?

The chronic wounds, especially those resulting from underlying chronic health conditions.

What helps chronic wounds heal faster?

Try to overcome the underlying medical condition causing the wound as much as possible, protect the wound from contamination, and follow a healthy, balanced diet.

How often should a wound dressing be changed?

Daily, or when the wound becomes wet or dirty.

When should I seek medical attention for a wound?

If you notice: Fever, bleeding, severe pain, discharged fluids, or pus.

How can I speed up wound healing naturally?

By keeping the wound clean, dressing it properly, eating a healthy diet rich in nutrients and vitamins, and avoiding medications that interfere with wound healing [if possible].

 

Sources:

Wounds 

Chronic wound