Pressure ulcers – more commonly known as bedsores – are a major problem among individuals who lead a sedentary lifestyle, especially for health reasons. This issue plagues the elderly in particular, but they can affect anyone bedridden or using a wheelchair in the long term.
Bedsores can create major problems if left unidentified, unnoticed or untreated. Thus, it is important to take quick action after noticing them.
What is bedsore?
Johns Hopkins Medicine discusses what bedsores are and how you can treat them. Bedsore typically develops as a result of a lack of blood flow to an area of the body. They can occur as early as 2 to 3 hours after a body part remains unmoving, such as when a sick, comatose or injured individual cannot turn themselves over in their hospital bed.
As skin dies in the area, bedsore will turn from red to purple. Without speedy treatment, the skin will split open and the area will grow susceptible to infection. Bedsore can even extend down through the muscle or to the bone, and in many cases, they will take a long time to heal.
How do you treat it?
To treat bedsore often depends on the location and severity of the injury. Typical treatment involves keeping the wound clean and alleviating pressure, dressing the wound properly to protect it and removing any infected or damaged tissue. Negative pressure wound therapy, medicine such as antibiotics and a good nutritional diet may help speed up the healing process. In extreme cases, a victim may need a skin graft to facilitate better recovery.