How To Take Care Of Chronic Wounds At Home?
A wound is any type of break in the skin or the underlying tissues. Minor or acute wounds generally heal within a few days or weeks through conventional treatment but sometimes, the injuries are more substantial. When these acute wounds don’t heal, heal slowly or heal but tend to recur, it is known as chronic, non-healing wounds. An infection or in more severe cases, extreme trauma can lead to chronic wounds also. All chronic wounds occur as acute wounds but when the site of the wound gets infected and doesn’t heal within the normal healing period, it is an indication of chronic wounds.
How Can I Help Heal My Chronic Wounds At Home?
Patients suffering from chronic, non-healing wounds require advanced wound care & treatment that often results in an extended care facility in the hospitals with various phases of wound recovery. However, in some cases, the patients or their caregivers can effectively manage chronic wounds at home as per the instructions provided by Wound Care in Orange County. This blog explains strategies for managing chronic wounds at home for patients.
Home Care Instructions For Managing Chronic Wounds At Home
Home care non-healing wound care can be used by the patients/caregivers to effectively manage various severe wounds at home provided home-based wound care instructions are being strictly followed by the patients’ relatives or caregivers along with regular follow-ups by their doctors & physicians. They should regularly be in contact with wound care physicians, nurses, and doctors as a precautionary measure to avoid any complications, such as signs of infection like bad odor or drainage from the wound site as well as amputation, etc.
Here are some of the most effective home care wound instructions by wound care specialists in Los Angeles that patients can receive adequate wound care to treat their chronic wounds at home.
1. Follow Local Wound Care – One of the most critical components of home-based wound care for patients with chronic wounds is following local wound care. Regular wound cleansing, debridement, and applying suitable wound dressings are essential. Patients or their caregivers can be instructed about how to clean and change dressings by the nurses and doctors to have wound care specialists’ visits at home.
1. Wash hands with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub thoroughly before and after changing the dressings to prevent infection.
2. Put on gloves and remove the old dressing carefully.
3. Wash hands again and clean the wound gently with a wet gauze sponge.
4. Remove any debris from the wound and dry the skin surrounding the wound carefully with a towel.
5. Apply a new dressing and secure it with tape.
2. Prevent Wound Care Infections – The doctors & surgeons may prescribe patients antibiotics and antifungal medications to further limit or treat any type of infection and speed up the wound healing process. Topical or oral medications can also be given by the wound doctor in California depending on the severity of wounds after conducting the patient assessment.
3. Ensure Adequate Amount of Oxygen – An adequate supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the affected area is critical to accelerating the wound healing process and optimal tissue repair. Patients will be instructed not to apply tight, and occlusive wound dressings to allow an optimal level of oxygen and blood flow to the wound site. Opt for breathable wound dressings to permit a free flow of oxygen to the injury site to improve wound healing.
4. Prevent/Control Wound Drainage – Patients and their caregivers should be in contact with doctors and get themselves educated on managing wound exudate, and its negative effects on wound recovery. If not treated effectively, it can worsen the situation. Thereby, home-based wound care instructions include the use of highly absorbent wound dressings to limit the leakage from the wound site.
5. Take Appropriate Painkillers – Chronic wounds can be frustrating and painful for the patients. As a part of effective home-care wound therapy, patients should be prescribed appropriate analgesia to limit pain, and improve quality of life with maximized comfort.
6. Maintain Healthy Diet & Exercise – Patients should maintain a healthy diet rich in protein, and nutrients to help the wound heal faster. This is an important component of home-based wound care that needs to be strictly followed by the patients. Make sure to include foods in the diet high in antioxidants, and vitamins. In addition, engaging in light physical exercises can also help increase the wound healing rate. For example, strength training, lifting arms & legs, etc.
7. Quit Smoking and Alcohol Consumption – Excess alcohol consumption and smoking habits can lead to further severe complications in treating chronic wounds at home. Patients should be counseled by wound care Los Angeles to limit their alcohol intake and quit smoking.
8. Manage Comorbid Medical Conditions – Many patients who have chronic wounds are at an increased risk of having comorbid medical conditions. Thereby patients with diabetes, chronic hypertension, and chronic venous or peripheral arterial disease should discuss with doctors and get appropriate medical treatment for these underlying conditions.
In addition to all these instructions, the patients are also required to perform an appropriate self-wound assessment on their own while taking home-based wound therapy. In case of any abnormal findings, immediately call Bedside Care Specialist USA. Home-based wound care enables patients with chronic wounds to avoid multiple back & forth visits to healthcare facilities as well as get treatment in a more comfortable and familiar environment for their loved ones. Furthermore, it provides them a higher level of privacy than the conventional treatment at hospitals.
