How to Prevent Bed Sores
Bed sores are one of the very serious diseases that are generally prone to the people spending most of the time on bed or are immobilized due to some reasons. With bed sore disease, most of the body pressure is confined to the certain body organs like hips, heels, elbows, shoulder blades, etc.One of the major and common causes of bed sores is the moisture generated from friction with bed sheets and sweating from the body.
For individuals who spend the majority of the day in bed or in a chair, bed sores are quite common. Medically speaking, these sores are referred to as pressure sores, because body weight is directed toward a particular area of the skin for so long that the skin actually dies. Sores begin to fester. Left untreated, they can go clear through to the bone, become severely infected, and result in death.
Pressure sores are caused when the weight of the body, resting on a surface, cuts off circulation to certain areas. Without blood flow, the affected tissue dies, creating a pressure sore. The severity of a pressure sore can range from a superficial wound, which heals once pressure is relieved, to a severe wound with irreparable skin damage as well as muscle, bone, joint, and even tendon damage. These more severe pressure sores can lead to infections which include joint infections, gas gangrene, and sepsis (bacteria from an infection entering the blood stream, often leading to shock and organ failure).
Avoid staying in one position for extended periods of time. If you are able, move around frequently to redistribute weight to other areas of the body. For those who cannot move, it is up to the caregiver to move his/her charge around periodically. For those who are confined to a wheelchair, one designed to recline can be helpful in making sure the immobile individual can change positions.
For prevention of bed sores it is imperative to frequently change the position of the person. A sore can begin to form in just a few hours of immobility. It is ideal to have the person change position every 15 minutes especially if they are in a wheelchair and every 2 hours if they are bed ridden, even during the night.
Caring for an individual who may have limited motion and feeling in the body generally falls to the caregiver. It is extremely important to check everywhere the skin comes in constant contact with the chair or bed. Under continuing pressure and friction, it does not take long for the circulation to the skin to be cut off. Then, the skin will slough off and die. Once this occurs, a nasty sore has already become a challenge to treat with bandages and ointments.
Not feeling the pain of bed sores can be deadly. Not knowing when the biggest organ on your body is in trouble can lead to festering infections that cannot be cured. Also known as pressure sores, this is a major health concern for anyone who is confined to a wheelchair or bed.
For individuals who spend the majority of the day in bed or in a chair, bed sores are quite common. Medically speaking, these sores are referred to as pressure sores, because body weight is directed toward a particular area of the skin for so long that the skin actually dies. Sores begin to fester. Left untreated, they can go clear through to the bone, become severely infected, and result in death.
Pressure sores are caused when the weight of the body, resting on a surface, cuts off circulation to certain areas. Without blood flow, the affected tissue dies, creating a pressure sore. The severity of a pressure sore can range from a superficial wound, which heals once pressure is relieved, to a severe wound with irreparable skin damage as well as muscle, bone, joint, and even tendon damage. These more severe pressure sores can lead to infections which include joint infections, gas gangrene, and sepsis (bacteria from an infection entering the blood stream, often leading to shock and organ failure).
Avoid staying in one position for extended periods of time. If you are able, move around frequently to redistribute weight to other areas of the body. For those who cannot move, it is up to the caregiver to move his/her charge around periodically. For those who are confined to a wheelchair, one designed to recline can be helpful in making sure the immobile individual can change positions.
For prevention of bed sores it is imperative to frequently change the position of the person. A sore can begin to form in just a few hours of immobility. It is ideal to have the person change position every 15 minutes especially if they are in a wheelchair and every 2 hours if they are bed ridden, even during the night.
Caring for an individual who may have limited motion and feeling in the body generally falls to the caregiver. It is extremely important to check everywhere the skin comes in constant contact with the chair or bed. Under continuing pressure and friction, it does not take long for the circulation to the skin to be cut off. Then, the skin will slough off and die. Once this occurs, a nasty sore has already become a challenge to treat with bandages and ointments.
Not feeling the pain of bed sores can be deadly. Not knowing when the biggest organ on your body is in trouble can lead to festering infections that cannot be cured. Also known as pressure sores, this is a major health concern for anyone who is confined to a wheelchair or bed.
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