Wound Care

Most wounds naturally heal over time, unfortunately some wounds do not and require treatment.  Non-healing/chronic wounds, or wounds that do not heal after conventional treatment, require wound care therapy.  Wounds are considered non-healing if they do not show improvement after 30 days.  Wound care is a medical specialty that focuses on treating chronic wounds. 

Symptoms

In addition to non-healing, chronic wounds can also display these symptoms: 

• Numbness on or around the wound
• Pain that is severe or increases over time
• Changes in color
• A foul odor emanating from the wound
• Noticeable swelling around the wound
• Fever or other signs of infection, such as redness and/or discharge

Causes

Underlying health conditions can contribute to the lack of healing in chronic wounds.   Some common reasons include:

• Infection - bacterial, fungal or viral can interfere with the body's natural healing process
• Conditions that create poor circulation through the body - examples: peripheral artery disease, diabetes, neuropathy - Impaired blood flood deprives tissues of needed nutrients and oxygen
• Confinement to wheelchair or bed - prolonged pressure on the skin causes tissue damage that results in pressure-ulcers
• Poor nutrition - nutrient deficiencies delay wound healing
• Chronic Inflammatory Conditions - example: rheumatoid arthritis - chronic inflammation can disrupt the body's healing process
• Smoking
• Medication side-effects - Example: corticosteroids - Some medications can slow down wound healing. 
• A poorly functioning immune system
• Age (the healing processes slows down as age increases)
• Skin cancer
• Re-opening of wounds