Kay Kay Healthcare Ltd.
BEDSORES
SYMPTOMS
- An inflamed sometimes painful, reddish patch of skin, especially on the shoulder blades, spine, lower back, hip joints, knees, ankles, or heels of a bedridden or wheel chair bound person.
- A raw, open sore in any of the areas noted above, cause by the top layer of skin having cracked and peeled away; open bedsore can quickly become ulcerated.
WHAT IS BEDSORES
Anyone who cares for immobile person at home understands the curse of bedsores. Even hospital and nursing home staffers may not be able to keep their patient from developing this irritating and sometimes debilitating skin injuries. More than a million American get bedsores each year, two-third of them being bedridden people over the age of 70.
CAUSES
A bedsore begin as tender, inflamed area cause by unrelieved pressure on a bony, weight baring area of the body; it can quickly turn into a painful skin ulcer that usually heals slowly. The likely pressure points are the ankles, knees, heels, shoulder blades, and particularly in wheelchair patient the spine, hips, and lower back. The pressure need not be present for extended periods to cause inflammation; in some cases bed sores form in the matter of hours. Patients with diabetes or other condition that promote skin breakdown and infection are at risk, a are those who are underweight, paralyzed, or suffering from poor circulation, heart problems, spinal cord injury, or atherosclerosis.
TREATMENT
CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE
At most hospital and nursing homes, the standard are treatment for bedsores is to clean the wound with a saline solution or hydrogen peroxide, remove any dead skin, and cover the area with a dressing that does not stick to the damage skin. Dead tissue may need to be removed with fine scalpel. In severe cases, when an ulcerated bedsores is deep and difficult to stabilize, plastic surgery or skin grafts may be required to restore damaged areas.
Unfortunately, some injuries and condition prevent bedridden patients from being moved at all. Even those who can be shifted regularly risk tearing delicate skin if they are pulled over the sheets. One option for such patients is to improve their circulation, either by message or by controlled, low level electrical stimulation.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICES
Various alternative treatments can soothe inflammation and relived pain, but they cannot replace essential steps of moving a bedridden person often and improving the individual diet.
HERBAL THERAPIES
Herbal treatment may relived the discomfort of bedsores and may help fight infection. To ease minor inflammation, apply a
marsh mallow (althaea officinalis) root ointment; or
try a poultice made from equal parts of powdered slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) bark, marsh mallow root, and Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) blended with a small amount of hot water. Two drop of essential Tea tree oil (Melaleuca spp.) in a cup of water makes an infection fighting rinse.
NUTRITION AND DIET
Patients with bedsores need to drink plenty of water to prevent their skin from becoming dry and vulnerable to posture. Certain vitamin and minerals, especially vitamin A, C, E and B complex, and zinc, promote skin growth and repair. Vitamin C in particular has been shown to be effective in healing bedsores. But because some vitamin can be toxic in large doses especially to people whose bodies are weakened by disease or injury taking any vitamin or mineral supplements must be supervised by the attending physicians.
AT HOME CARE
Caring for invalid at home especially aging loved ones can be daunting tasks. Some helpful tips for making each day tolerable.
• Make sure the person confine bed or a wheelchair moves his body as often as possible when awake, but at least every two hours. If he can’t move around on his own, other should move his body for him.
• Cushion the persons feet, knees, spine, and shoulder with soft pillows or cloth covered foams pads, and adjust them frequently for comfort.
• Never pull or side the person over bed cloths, because the friction may cause further skin damage. Always use the two person lifting technique (above, left).
PREVENTION
When it comes to bedsore, prevention is clearly worth more than any cure. Wheelchair bound or bedridden people should shift their position regularly. They should be bathed frequently and dried thoroughly and their skin should be lubricated with a mild, nonirritating lotion. They should have clean, dry, tight fitting, unstarched cotton sheets; loose fitting clothes; plenty of air circulation; a healthy diet; and sort of regular exercise even if a caregiver has move their limbs.
To cushion sensitive areas, try an “eggcrate” foam matters overlay, a water filled matters, or sheepskin pad over the bedsheets. Consider a variable pressure matters with separate section that can be inflated and deflated independently to adjust pressure on the patients body.
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