Wounds that heal over a long period of time may be a distraction to your everyday practices. Besides a lot of pain, chronic wounds are unsightly and may produce a bad smell. However, you can find a solution at Calvary Urgent Care, where skilled and well-trained medical specialists use treatment methods like pressure off-loading to treat acute wounds. Your nurse practitioner in Humble, TX, will examine your wound and recommend a treatment method that is best suited to your unique needs.
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What is a chronic wound?
Chronic wounds are wounds that do not heal following the standard set of stages. There are different examples of chronic wounds that include:
- Venous ulcers
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Infectious wounds
- Pressure ulcers
- Surgical wounds
- Arterial ulcers
Health conditions that cause chronic wounds
Although anyone can develop a chronic wound, several factors make you more susceptible, including:
- High level of cholesterol in your body
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Skin cancer
- Hypertension
- Thrombosis
- Varicose veins
- Diabetes
- Serious burns
- Many surgical procedures to the same location
If you have a wound that is taking longer than usual to heal, you may develop an infection. When your wound gets an infection, you will notice signs and symptoms such as:
- Pus draining from the wound
- Read streaks originating from your wound
- Pimples forming on the wound
- Increased pain
- Fever
- Foul smell coming from the wound
Treatment methods for a chronic wound
Your doctor at Calvary Urgent Care may use different therapies to treat your chronic wound. For example:
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This treatment works by increasing the oxygen levels in your blood. Your doctor will place you in a highly concentrated room with oxygen that allows you to take in more oxygen than in a typical environment.
Negative pressure therapy. Your doctor will cover your wound using an airtight dressing that connects to a pressure pump. The pump sucks away any fluid coming out of the wound and increases the amount of blood flowing to the wound, which causes your wound to heal.
There are different types of dressings that your doctor may also use on your wound. They include:
Hydrocolloid dressings. Your doctor will use this impermeable dressing to cover pressure ulcers, necrotic wounds, and venous ulcers. This dressing helps keep the wound moist, clean, and protects from infections which facilitate the healing process.
Alginate dressings. This type of dressing can absorb a lot of fluid. Your doctor will use this to cover burns and packing wounds. You will be required to change the dressing after every two days to avoid developing an infection.
Hydrogel. Your doctor will use this dressing on wounds that are very painful and contain no fluid. Hydrogel contains a cooling gel that alleviates pain from the wound, facilitating the recovery process.
Foams. This dressing is used on wounds that produce a foul smell. Foams allow air to enter the wound, which helps to keep the wound moist and promote healing.
Managing a chronic wound by yourself can be painful and stressful. Your doctor at Calvary Urgent Care will help you in finding a specific treatment that works for you. Arrange for a visit with your health specialist and begin your journey to healing.