Caring for a wound is of utmost importance for a person’s well-being. No matter whether you got the wound from a surgical incision or accident, properly caring for your wound can help prevent scarring or keep it to the minimum as well as prevent dangerous infections. Let’s understand more about wound care in this article.
A wound is a physical injury on your body that can result from trauma or surgical procedures. Wounds are classified in various ways, including the number of tissues penetrated and where they are located.
Some of the most common types of wounds are:
Wounds which have exposed underlying tissues or organs are termed open wounds. They are usually considered contaminated since they might have dirt and debris in them. Such a kind of wound often results from a fall or a car accident.
Wounds from stabs or cuts are penetrating wounds. They are usually considered open. Bruises and abrasions are common examples of non-penetrating wounds. Irrespective of what kind of wound you have, knowing how to care for it for proper wound healing is crucial.
There are two main risks of improper wound care – infection and scarring.
We often ignore a small open wound thinking that it will probably heal on its own. But that doesn’t happen always. Untreated wounds can lead to several issues, the foremost being infection. Bacteria can enter the body through untreated open wounds, make it a home and start to multiply. Even before you realise it, a small infection can lead to a major issue.
An infected wound can lead to issues such as fever, pus formation, foul smell, swelling and redness. It can also lead to a serious condition known as sepsis when the infection becomes widespread and enters your bloodstream. This is a serious condition which may require hospitalisation. This is why wound infection prevention takes the central stage no matter what kind of wound you have or how small it is.
Another significant side effect of improper wound care is scarring. When your skin is injured due to an accident or surgery, your body starts to repair the wound automatically. Skin healing can lead to the formation of a scar. Not to worry, it is a part of the natural wound healing process. However, the appearance of the scar is dependent on how well the wound heals, which is an outcome of proper wound care. Hence to prevent wound scarring or reduce scars, caring for the wound is very important.
Primarily, there are three wound care steps:
Here are a few more wound-healing tips that you should keep in mind:
All the above steps not only help in infection prevention but in scar prevention as well. Additionally, for scar prevention, you can use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF30 or higher once the wound has healed. This may help reduce the discolouration of the wound and help it to heal faster.
Let’s talk about surgical wounds as they require additional care for healing. All surgical wounds will have some kind of dressing which keeps the wound clean and dry while it heals. This dressing will be changed regularly as deemed fit by your healthcare provider.
Caring for a surgical wound requires more caution. Your healthcare provider will provide you with exact guidelines on do’s and don’ts of surgical wound care, which may include:
Wound care, especially surgical wound care, is a specialised job which may require additional expertise. While you are recovering from a wound, visiting the doctor’s clinic may not be feasible. That’s why we have good news for you! You can book the services of a professional wound care nurse from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is download the TrueCare2U app, one of Malaysia’s leading home wound care services, and choose the right service. An experienced nurse will visit your home at your preferred time and frequency to help you take care of your wound. This will help your wound recover properly.
Download the TrueCare2U app today to find wound care services and a range of other at-home medical services for all your needs.
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