Chronic Wound Healing

Understanding Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds are persistent injuries that do not progress through the typical healing stages within a reasonable timeframe. These wounds can be painful and debilitating, decreasing a patient’s quality of life while causing serious health risks.

At Regenaskin, our mission is to provide the education, products, services, and support every patient needs to heal from these types of wounds.

The Stages of Wound Healing

Under normal circumstances, wound healing follows four overlapping stages: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Many factors can disrupt this process, creating chronic wounds that remain open for weeks or months. Chronic wounds commonly include diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous and arterial ulcers, and non-healing surgical wounds.

Regenaskin specializes in solutions for chronic wounds, helping patients with complicated conditions get back to normal faster.

Causes of Chronic Wounds

There are multiple factors that can encourage chronic wounds to develop, including:

Poor Blood Circulation: When blood flow to the wound site is reduced, your wound is deprived of the nutrients and oxygen it needs to heal properly.
Infection: Bacterial or fungal infections in or around your wound can slow or stall the healing process.
Diabetes: Elevated blood sugar levels in diabetic patients can slow the healing process by impairing immune function.
Chronic Diseases: A variety of other conditions, including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), venous insufficiency, and autoimmune disorders, can prevent proper wound healing.
Malnutrition: Inadequate nutrient intake or absorption can interfere with the wound healing process.
Smoking: Smoking lowers oxygen levels and reduces blood flow, slowing the wound healing process.
Excessive Tissue Damage: Catastrophic tissue loss or damage can exceed the body’s repair abilities, leading to slow or stalled healing.

Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds

Healthcare professionals may recommend a multi-faceted approach to treating chronic wounds. Your provider may recommend one or more of the following treatment options:

Wound Debridement: Dead or infected tissue will be removed from the wound, encouraging healthy tissue growth.
Topical Medications: Your provider will apply dressings or ointments to the wound to promote healing and fight infection.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT): Your provider will apply controlled vacuum pressure to your wound, improving blood flow and accelerating healing.
Cellular and Tissue-based Products: Your provider will apply bioengineered tissues or skin substitutes to your wound to speed the recovery process.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Oxygen will be administered in a pressurized chamber to increase your blood oxygen levels, helping your wound heal faster.
Antibiotics: Your provider will prescribe medication to treat an existing infection or prevent a new one.
Surgical Interventions: If your wound requires it, a surgical procedure may be necessary to correct an underlying issue preventing your wound from healing.

Effective Wound Care Strategies

Proper wound care is crucial to support the healing process and prevent complications. Key strategies include:

Proper Wound Hygiene: Following your healthcare professional’s directions, clean your wound with mild soap and water. Avoid using harsh solutions that could damage healthy new tissue.
Moist Wound Healing: Maintain a moist wound environment by using appropriate dressings.
Offload Pressure: If your wound is on a foot or a weight-bearing area, use specialized footwear or padding to distribute pressure.
Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet, focusing on the proteins and vitamins your body needs to heal (particularly vitamin C and zinc.)
Manage Underlying Conditions: Work closely with your healthcare provider to manage any chronic health issues, such as diabetes, hypertension, and peripheral arterial disease.
Quit Smoking: If you smoke, consider quitting as soon as possible. Quitting smoking can dramatically improve your blood flow and oxygen levels, helping your body regenerate healthy tissue faster.
Regular Follow-up: Stay in close contact with your healthcare provider, following any recommendations and attending follow-up appointments to assess your wound’s progress.

Conclusion

Patients with chronic wounds need comprehensive care and attention for healing to take place. It’s important to understand the underlying causes for a chronic wound and to seek prompt medical attention to address it.

Chronic wounds are as unique as the patients they affect. Regenaskin is here to guide our partners, physicians, and patients every step of the way toward healing–no matter how complicated the wound.