Prevent your body from getting bed sores
Bed sores are ulcers and lesions that develop on the skin and on bony areas of the body, due to a number of reasons. It is very common among patients whose movements are restricted to the space of the hospital bed, among handicapped and paralyzed people with limited movement, elderly people whose skin becomes thinner and deteriorates as they grow older, people who have recently suffered from serious skin or bone injury etc.
Bed sores usually appear as slight redness on the skin, but without proper treatment or prevention, sores may develop into severely painful and dangerous wounds which may cut into tissue, muscle and may even enter bone structure. As the ulcers worsen, they become more unmanageable and difficult to treat, so rapid prevention steps are very necessary.
Bed sores typically occur on skin which is frequently moist or perspiring, or from tissues which have constantly been subjected to pressure, or if the patient has been lying in the same position on bed for a long amount of time. Friction between various parts of skin in the body can also cause lesions and wounds. The inner area of the thighs (part of the thighs surrounding the genitals) is very prone to bed sores during humid summers. Sustained pressure on tissue areas, or long periods of the same body posture slowly leads to tissue decay in the affected area and induces bacterial damage, and eventually causes tissue death. The patient may also feel unusually cold or feverish, with severe chills and coughs. The interval between the time of discovery of the wound and the time till necessary steps are taken, is crucial to prevent a bed lesion from spreading.
Prevention and treatment of bed sores firstly includes an assessment of all the factors which might cause lesions in the first place. Is the patient exposed to moisture, or restricted to limited body movements? Bed sore afflicted patients need proper nutrition to build up protein to combat decaying tissue. Foods rich in protein, Vitamin C,D and E, and minerals like selenium and zinc are highly recommended. Antiseptic treatment and applying wound dressings on the sores has to be regular and disciplined.
Over the years, a number of procedures have emerged for bed sore treatment – for example, using enzymes and various chemicals to treat tissue damage, surgically removing dead tissue etc. Herbs like Wheat Germ and Wheat Grass are very helpful because they build and strengthen tissues. Bed sore treatment usually occurs over a long period of time and requires routine assessments and check-ups of the patient.
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