The term wound healing disorders refers to general difficulties in natural wound healing. These can occur for a variety of reasons, such as previous illnesses or improper wound care.
What are wound healing disorders?
Doctors always speak of wound healing disorders when there are difficulties or delays in natural wound healing. Basically, the body tries to replace the tissue injured by violence or disease with healthy tissue as quickly as possible. For definitions of nhl, please visit topbbacolleges.com.
Due to various causes, however, the healing process can be disrupted. This is a burden for the organism, especially since there is a constant risk of inflammation of the open wound. Particularly in the case of very large and serious wounds, for example after an operation, life-threatening conditions can result. Surgical interventions must therefore be carefully considered in the case of certain diseases.
Causes
Wound healing disorders can have many causes. Basically, wounds in young people heal better than in older people. Inadequate wound care is often responsible for the impaired healing process.
If the wound has not been perfectly closed after an operation, for example, or if the stitches are removed too early, it cannot close optimally. The patient’s individual state of health can also impair wound healing. Diseases such as diabetes, tuberculosis, HIV or drug addiction can cause wound healing disorders, as can certain medications.
Protein deficiency, vitamin deficiency or severe obesity are other factors that can lead to problems with wound healing. The attending physician should therefore always take the patient’s lifestyle into account when making his diagnosis.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
Wound healing disorders can have serious consequences. It is therefore important to pay attention to the first signs of a wound healing disorder. This enables timely professional treatment by a doctor. Some clinics have special specialists who take care of wound care for amputation-related and other wound healing disorders.
The most important symptom of wound healing disorders is that an open wound simply does not want to heal. This can be a leg ulcer, an amputation or surgical scar, or another type of wound. The wound defect can show up for different periods of time. The wound may ooze or bleed without showing adequate signs of healing. The area around the wound may be very painful, swollen, or discolored.
In addition to the wound healing disorders, nerve, bone and vascular damage sometimes occur. If the blood and lymph circulation in the wound area is disturbed, lymphedema and other consequences can occur. Wound infections can occur. Its symptoms are a foul smell, a layer of pus on the wound and redness in the wound area. Pressure pain occurs around the open wound. Fever can indicate the onset of blood poisoning.
The main symptoms of wound healing disorders are delayed healing, redness, overheating, sensitivity to pressure or swelling. The wound may weep, bleed or fester. There is pain in the wound area and sometimes restricted mobility.
Diagnosis & History
In most cases, wound healing disorders can be directly diagnosed visually by the attending physician. By looking at and examining the wound, he can determine how old it is and to what extent it should already have healed as part of optimal wound healing.
If there is actually a wound healing disorder, the exact causes must be determined. For this purpose, both the wound care and the living conditions of the patient should be considered more closely. If a wound remains untreated when the healing process is disturbed, severe inflammation can occur.
At worst, it can endanger the patient’s life, especially if the wound is large. Appropriate medical care is therefore essential.
Complications
Wound healing disorders are considered a dangerous complication of surgery, injuries and underlying diseases. They occur particularly in people with a weakened immune system or as a result of diabetes mellitus and severe skin diseases. However, an incorrect position after the operation or incorrect treatment of the wound can also lead to impaired healing.
With optimal wound treatment, the chances of recovery are good. However, recurrences can occasionally occur. The prognosis of a wound healing disorder worsens if it is caused by an underlying disease. Then a complete healing of the wound is only possible if the triggering disease is also treated successfully.
Wound healing disorders can lead to serious complications. If the wound is not disinfected or only insufficiently disinfected, there is often a rapid increase in pathogens that penetrate the wound. Foci of pus develop which, in very unfavorable cases, can lead to potentially fatal sepsis. Furthermore, wound healing disorders are often the cause of chronic nerve, vascular, muscle, tendon or bone damage.
A particularly feared complication of wound healing disorders is the so-called compartment syndrome. The tissue pressure in the musculature increases due to outflow disorders of the venous blood. The following blood circulation disturbance can interrupt the arterial blood flow into the muscles. Muscle tissue often dies off, especially in the lower legs, feet or forearms.
When should you go to the doctor?
Under optimal conditions, the symptoms of a wound decrease over several days or weeks in a continuous process. If an improvement in health can be noticed on a daily basis, no doctor is needed. Tension often occurs during movement sequences, since the skin of the wound has not yet fully regenerated and is therefore not sufficiently stretchable. This is a natural process that does not require further medical attention. A doctor is needed if the wound healing process does not progress for several days. In addition, a doctor should be consulted if the symptoms increase.
Swelling and discoloration of the skin should normally decrease steadily. However, if they increase or if pain occurs, there is a need for action. Action is also needed if the skin around the wound is irritated. In particularly severe cases and in the event of an unfavorable healing process, blood poisoning can occur. Therefore, a hospital must be visited or an emergency service alerted if severe pain occurs, intense discomfort develops, or edema develops. Tenderness in the area of the wound is normal. Nevertheless, consultation with a doctor should be sought if the pressure sensitivity becomes more intense or the affected region enlarges.
Treatment & Therapy
After a comprehensive examination and the diagnosis made by the doctor treating you, cleaning the wound is the top priority. It must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to prevent dangerous infections. Various rinsing solutions are available for this purpose.
Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to surgically remove the already dead tissue and then sew up the wound (again) so that healing can take place. In general, wounds are nowadays covered extensively with compresses so that the natural healing cannot be impaired by external influences. These dressings must be changed regularly.
In addition, coagulation-supporting drugs can be administered under certain circumstances. In addition to acute care, the underlying causes of the wound healing disorders should also be found out, ideally before initiating therapy. Certain diseases require special treatments or certain medications may not be used. If the reasons for impaired wound healing lie in the patient’s lifestyle, nutrients or vitamins administered can usually remedy the situation quite quickly.
If diabetes is already present, the blood sugar level should always be regulated to an acceptable level. If the wound has already become inflamed, it must be treated quickly with medication or possibly an operation so that life-threatening conditions cannot develop.
Prevention
In many cases, wound healing disorders can be prevented by optimal and professional wound care. It should therefore always be given the greatest importance. Risk factors such as obesity or a lifestyle that promotes deficiency symptoms should be minimized so that there are no major problems in the healing process in the event of a wound. If underlying diseases such as diabetes are present, appropriate treatment of the same is urgently needed. If a wound does not heal quickly and easily as usual, a visit to the doctor is highly recommended.
Aftercare
Various complications arise from wound healing disorders. However, the follow-up care here does not only refer to the original wound. First of all, it must be ensured that the wound does not become inflamed or that inflammation is recognized and treated as quickly as possible. In addition to local measures, it may also be necessary to take certain medications, such as antibiotics.
It is therefore important to have the wound healing regularly monitored by a doctor. The second pillar of aftercare is determining the cause of a wound healing disorder. In some cases, previously unrecognized systemic diseases (e.g. diabetes) are responsible for this, but also a pronounced consumption of cigarettes. It is important to treat the actual cause, otherwise wound healing disorders can occur if wounds recur, which are becoming more and more difficult to treat – also depending on the type and location of the wound.
The patient should work with an experienced doctor and seek advice and treatment for the individual case. The wound itself must be cared for until it has completely healed, bandaged if necessary and kept away from sources of infection. Injuring yourself again can also lead to significant complications, and it is advisable to rest the affected body regions up to a certain point in the follow-up care.
You can do that yourself
In the case of wound healing disorders, increased care should be taken when performing movements in everyday life. Feelings of tension in the area of the wound should always be avoided. Therefore, stretching or performing stretching exercises is not recommended. The physical strain must be adapted to the health possibilities. It is therefore necessary to check which sporting activities can be carried out and which professional activities can be carried out in the current health situation.
Situations of overexertion or heavy physical stress have a disruptive effect on the recovery process and must be avoided. A healthy and balanced diet can help the organism to heal. A diet rich in vitamins, an adequate supply of oxygen and avoiding the consumption of harmful substances help. This supports the immune system and can promote the regeneration process more. Sufficient sleep and regular rest have also proven to be helpful. Breaks should be taken at regular intervals and the wound should be checked several times a day.
The change of the wound dressing must be sterile. If necessary, the help of nursing staff is to be used. If possible, the physical region around the existing wound should be kept still. As a result, the fulfillment of everyday duties often requires the support of other people.
