A wound can be considered non-healing or chronic if it fails to improve within one month. Patients with medical conditions like diabetes and kidney problems are more likely to develop these wounds. Left untreated, a non-healing wound can lead to infections, amputations, and sometimes death.
The best way to address a wound that will not heal on its own is through Bakersfield wound care. Your provider will usually begin with diagnosing the underlying cause of your problem before devising a treatment. Depending on the situation, your treatment options may include:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
HBOT or hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an innovative treatment that uses pure oxygen to stimulate cell growth and wound healing. Often used to treat non-healing wounds, this therapy delivers 100 percent pure oxygen to the body under high pressure.
You will usually be placed in a pressure chamber for HBOT. The increased oxygen levels can promote faster healing, improve tissue oxygenation, and promote new cells, collagen, skin, and blood vessel formation. Even better, HBOT kills bacteria and lowers your risk of infection.
Debridement
Debridement is a wound care treatment that involves the tissues. During this procedure, your provider cleans your wound and removes the dead or damaged tissue to improve healing. The tissue is usually excised from the surface of the wound.
By eliminating dead or damaged tissue from a wound, debridement helps protect you from infection. It also creates space for healthy tissue to grow in the wounded area.
Chronic Disease Management
As mentioned, many non-healing wounds are associated with chronic conditions like diabetes. This makes chronic disease management a key component of wound care. The goal is to manage your condition and reduce your body’s propensity to form non-healing wounds.
This treatment is often tailored to your condition. However, it may involve medication use and several lifestyle changes designed to improve your health and lower your injury risk.
Total Contact Cast (TCC) Offloading
Total contact cast offloading involves the preparation of a customized cast. Your doctor takes impressions of the wounded area, usually the foot, to create a cast that relieves pressure on the wound. This helps promote faster healing while alleviating your pain.
For patients with diabetes-caused wounds at the bottom of their feet, TCC offloading is considered the holy grail of wound treatments. The cast works by dispersing your body weight away from the affected foot. This allows you to stand or walk without aggravating the wound.
Compression and Negative pressure
Compression bandaging is an effective way to alleviate swelling in a leg or arm wound. Often combined with lymphedema therapy, it involves the application of specialized manual and bandaging techniques. Your doctor may also use a compression pump to apply pressure to the wounded area.
In this case, the treatment is called negative pressure wound therapy. Your doctor uses a gentle vacuum pump to increase blood flow in the wound and stimulate new tissue growth and natural healing.
Prevent Infections and Amputations with Expert Wound Care
Non-healing wounds are painful and their symptoms only worsen over time. Without prompt and proper wound care, you may face an increased risk of lost mobility or function, infection, or amputation. Medical intervention can prevent these complications and help you heal properly.
The best form of treatment for your wound will usually come down to several factors. These include the location and severity of your symptoms. To learn more, contact a wound care provider such as a cardiologist today and book an appointment.
