Whatever caused your injury, you must understand that wounds heal in stages. A wound that takes more than 30 days to heal is often considered chronic. These types of wounds usually stall in one or more stages of healing. For a wound to heal gracefully, it needs a conducive environment. Therefore, it is important to get medical treatment from the Wilmington family clinic in case of a minor injury.
In this post, we are going to look at some of the factors that often delay the healing of wounds. Keep on reading to learn more about these factors to avoid them in case you get an injury. Remember that you can get high-quality medical attention from an urgent care Wilmington family clinic if you suffer a minor injury.
The age of the patient
The healing capacity of a person is often affected by his or her age. According to studies, individuals who are 60 years and above heal slowly. The reason being that there are many physical changes that happen due to advanced age. These changes include a decrease in the body’s inflammatory response, delay in angiogenesis, and multiple existing comorbidities. When a person reaches 60 years and above, some noticeable physical changes may include age spots and drier skin. This is due attributed to a decreased function of the sebaceous glands. Slower formation of a scar is also attributed to reduced collagen synthesis.
The Wound Type
The speed at which a wound heals is often determined by its characteristics. If a wound is large, it will take a longer time to heal. This simply means that the larger the wound, the longer it will take for it to heal. The shape of the wound also affects the healing period. If your injury causes a linear wound, it will heal much faster than a rectangular wound. Wounds that take the longest time to heal are circular in shape. It will take longer to heal if a wound has foreign bodies, necrotic tissue, or desiccation.
Infection
Any broken skin is susceptible to virus, bacteria, or fungi. Body components responsible for protecting the body from foreign bodies often fight and kill these pathogens before they spread. This includes the red blood cells. If the wound is infected, there will be sores or lesions on its surface. In this case, you will need the administration of antibiotics to get rid of the infection. This will delay the healing process of a wound.
Chronic Diseases
There are also other chronic diseases that slow down the healing process. If a patient has diabetes or any medical condition that affects the circulatory system, wound healing may be inhibited. A wound to heal fast and efficiently requires sufficient blood flow in the treatment area. If blood is not flowing well, it will need therapeutic intervention to speed up healing. If your wound takes a long time to heal, you need to consult a medical practitioner who will carry out a comprehensive assessment and suggest proper treatment interventions.
Poor Nutrition
If the patient is geriatric or has a chronic illness, wound healing may take long to heal if the person does not consume nutritious food. Infections usually increase the need for protein and caloric in a patient due to inadequate nutrition. What more is that large quantities of protein are exuded by wounds everyday. This is especially if the wound is a large pressure ulcer. Since the body requires energy, it will break down protein to get it if calories are inefficient. This further reduces the body’s ability to heal.
Lack of Hydration
The healing process of a wound may also slow down due to a lack of moisture at the surface of a wound. When this happens it decreases blood oxygenation and halts cellular migration. The healing process may also slow down due to dehydration that comes from the depletion of water or sodium. An injured person will require more than the usual 64 ounces of fluid daily for quick recovery at Wilmington family clinic. Fluids help white blood cells to travel to the injury site to supply nutrients and oxygen.
Conclusion
If you have suffered an injury, you need to take good care of the wound in order to heal well. Proper wound dressing is not the only thing that a wound needs to heal properly. As we have mentioned, there are several factors that affect the speed at which a wound heals. You need to take plenty of fluids to allow white blood cells to supply the body with nutrients and oxygen. Your age may also influence the time it takes for your wound to heal.
