Bed Sores Treatment – Causes Of Bed Sores Infection And Prevention

Causes Of Bed Sores And Treatment

Bed sores are skin ulcers that affect those parts of the body that are subjected to pressure over a long period of time. Bed sores appear as swellings and lesions that can be painful and in the long run may hamper blood circulation in certain parts of the body, thereby leading to a chronic and potentially life threatening condition. Bed sores most commonly affect those who are in bed due to chronic ailments or old age, physically handicapped or paralyzed or disabled due to accidents. The regions that are most prone to bed sores are the lower back, hips, buttocks, shoulders, spine, feet and knees. The initial symptoms of bed sores are dark or inflamed skin that does not turn pale on pressing, accompanied by swelling, dampness and foul skin odor. This is followed by the appearance of blisters filled with pus that lead to the loss of outer skin tissue and gradually go deeper down to the muscles and bones, causing painful lesions and greatly increasing the risk of serious infections.

The most effective way of preventing bed sores is to ensure that the patient keeps changing his position at regular intervals so that the pressure on some parts of the body is eased out periodically. Sometimes patients confined to the bed do not realize how frequently they should change their position, especially if they are advanced in years and suffer from decreased levels of consciousness. In such cases, it is imperative that an attendant takes care to shift them in their chair or bed at regular intervals. If the patient also suffers from problems like incontinence, care should be taken to change their clothing whenever they get wet and ensure that the skin is properly dried out before every change of clothing. It is also advisable to dab the moist areas with antibacterial talcum powder to prevent the growth of infection causing germs. Sometimes dehydration and nutritional deficiencies also cause bed ridden patients to develop bed sores, so they should be given plenty of water and fresh fruits and juices to drink. Using a ripple mattress is also a good idea as it ensures better blood circulation and reduces the risk of bed sores. You should also regularly air and sun dry the pillows and mattresses of the patient to kill germs that might cause infection. In consultation with a physiotherapist, administer body massages to the patient to improve his blood circulation and keep his body parts in normal functioning condition.