How to Improve Bed Sores
A bed sore, also referred to as a pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer, is caused by constant pressure to a part of the body. This pressure causes skin breakdown by decreasing blood flow to the area which causes the death of body cells. Bed sores are classified into four stages that range from a superficial area of damage without skin breakage to a serious, deep wound that involves the muscles or bone. Bed sores typically occur over bony prominences, such as the tailbone, shoulder blades, heels and ankles. Many of the same techniques used to prevent this condition are also used to improve bed sores.
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Instructions
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Perform wound care as ordered by your physician. Wash hands and don gloves before removing any existing dressing. Wash hands again and don new gloves before performing wound care to avoid introducing organisms into the wound bed. Not all bed sores are treated with a dressing.
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Use pressure relieving devices, such as a mattress overlay or wheelchair cushion made of foam, gel or air-filled chambers. Keep pressure off the sore until it is fully healed.
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Reposition your body every two hours if you are confined to your bed. If you spend most of your day in a wheelchair, shift your weight every 15 minutes or, if you are unable to move yourself, have a caregiver reposition you in your wheelchair every hour.
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Use pillows or foam wedges to help position your body and to pad bony prominences.
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Eat nutritious foods containing substances necessary for wound healing and healthy skin. These substances include protein, vitamins A and C, zinc and iron.
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Protect your intact skin and the skin surrounding the bed sore by keeping it clean and dry.
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Keep all appointments with your physician so he can evaluate the current treatment and debride the wound if needed. Debridement involves removing dead tissue that would otherwise hamper the healing process.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact your physician if you notice signs of an infection or poor healing, such as a fever, redness around the sore, black areas forming in the wound bed, the size of the sore increases, an increased amount of drainage, an odor coming from the wound and if the drainage becomes white, yellow or greenish in color.
Avoid massaging red areas since this can cause tissue damage.
