How to get rid of pressure sores at home

Severely ill people who are forced to lie down for a long time often suffer from pressure sores. Pressure ulcers - this is damage to the skin tissue in those places where the human body is constantly in contact with the bed. Why is this happening? The blood vessels that are located on the skin of a person are very elastic. And if you squeeze them for a long time, do not change their position, they do not get enough blood. From this they starve and gradually die. The skin loses sensitivity and pressure sores are formed. The condition of the patient is aggravated by the fact that bedsores can not only hurt, but also itch. There are several stages in the development of this disease.

1. The first stage is the beginning of the development of pressure sores. At this stage, the skin changes color - it can become red or cyanotic, swelling appears. In some places, the destruction of the integrity of the skin may begin. If you put pressure on the bedsore, the blood drains from the place of pressure, and then does not return to its previous state or it takes a very long time. Healthy blood circulation in the affected area is disrupted.
2. At the second stage of development of pressure sores, sores, blisters, worn places, ulcers, open wounds appear. Pressure ulcers can ooze in blood or in a nest.
3. The third stage is very dangerous, because at this stage the tissues die completely - they are no longer able to recover. In the third stage, the ulcers become very deep, the wounds do not heal. Sometimes not only skin, but also muscle tissue is destroyed. Pressure ulcers can turn black and dark blue.
4. The fourth and last stage is characterized by severe destruction of the skin, muscle and bone tissue.

Caring for a bed patient

To get rid of pressure sores and prevent their reappearance, you need to properly care for bedridden patients. 90% of success in the fight against pressure sores depends on this. After all, sometimes bedsores are called a disease of groomed patients. So, to maintain patient hygiene, the following rules must be observed.

1. To avoid pressure sores, you need to change the position of the patient several times a day, if for him this does not amount to discomfort. Place the patient on his stomach, then on each side. Let him lie in this position for several minutes. Change the position of the patient at least every couple of hours.
2. Rub from time to time the places that are most prone to the appearance of pressure sores - the back of the head, elbows, tailbone, buttocks, back, and heels. So you improve blood circulation in the designated areas.
3. If the patient's condition allows, regularly imitate the movement - raise his arms and legs, doing light gymnastics.
4. Change bed sheets as often as possible - at least once every 5 days. If there are open sores on the body, the laundry should be changed daily to prevent infection of the wound. Every day you need to shake the sheet so that it does not have crumbs or other small debris. When making a bed, it should not have folds and knolls, buttons. Hard and coarse seams on bedding are also not allowed.
5. Pressure sores prevention is daily bathing. Expose those areas where bedsores may appear and leave them open for half an hour. And if you expose them to the sun, it will be even better. After all, ultraviolet light improves blood circulation.
6. If bedsores are already present, they cannot be massaged. It is better to stretch the skin around the lesion so that pressure sores do not spread.
7. Today, there are special anti-decubitus mattresses on sale that take the anatomical shape of a person and do not press on the skin.
8. If a seriously ill person cannot move and cannot be turned over, from time to time he needs to put an inflatable rubber circle under his buttocks. It should lie in such a way that the tailbone and butt are in the hole in the circle. So that the skin does not whip from the rubber structure of the circle, you just need to place it in a pillowcase or cover it with a cotton cloth first.
9. Quartzing of the affected areas of the skin tissue with a special lamp helps very well. About how to use a quartz lamp, we wrote in this article.
10. Whole body hygiene is very important. Wipe the patient's skin with soapy water daily and thoroughly wipe it with clean water. After this, you need to wipe the patient with an alcohol-containing composition. Pay attention to all the folds - under the armpits, in the inguinal zone, under the knees, in the neck, in women - under the chest. Careful and regular treatment will help prevent diaper rash.
11. If the pressure sores become red and inflamed, if pain and detachable pieces of skin tissue appear, if you feel an unpleasant smell, most likely an infection has got into the wound. In this case, you need to treat ulcers with antiseptic drugs, drink antibiotics.
12. Do not smear bedsores with heavy ointments or bandage with a thick cloth. This blocks the flow of air to the wound and leads to the progression of the disease.
13. The skin of the patient should not be wet. It does not need to be rubbed heavily, the movements of the sponge should be soft and careful. Water should not be wiped, but soaked. In addition, make sure that the patient's skin is not too dry. Soften it with baby cream in time.
14. If the skin is prone to moisture, use baby powder or talcum powder.
15. The risk of pressure sores is increased if the patient has diabetes or obesity. By the way, in men, bedsores are formed much more often.
16. The situation is aggravated if the patient has fecal or urinary incontinence. In this case, you need to frequently change the adult diaper, a regular crotch toilet is required.

Drug treatment for pressure sores

Modern treatment for pressure sores is to stop the progress of the disease and heal existing wounds. With bedsores, first of all, you need to wipe the affected areas with antiseptic solutions. It can be hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. Camphor alcohol helps very well. It disinfects the surface and improves blood circulation.

Dead tissue can no longer be restored, so they need to be disposed of in a less painful way. In advanced cases, they resort to the surgical method, with small areas of the lesion, Iruxol ointment is used. It contributes to the rejection of necrotic tissue and wound healing.

Along with this, patients are prescribed drugs that improve local blood flow, for example, Actovegin. Also, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to the patient, which will help to avoid the development of microorganisms in the wound. Solcoseryl Gel helps heal open sores. Xeroform powder is also very effective against pressure sores. Physiological methods are also used for the treatment - electrophoresis and Darsonval perfectly improve blood circulation.

You can also use special fabric dressings. They are impregnated with an antibacterial compound and pass air to the wound.

Folk remedies against bedsores

I would like to note that the treatment of pressure sores at home is permissible in the first stage and as a prophylaxis. Missed cases are best treated under the supervision of a physician.

1. Calendula is an effective and safe antibacterial agent. Two tablespoons of a dry or green plant should be poured with a liter of boiling water. Leave the broth to insist for several hours. Strain and use during rinsing ulcers.
2. You can treat pressure sores with alcohol tinctures.A tablespoon of birch buds should be poured with a glass of alcohol or vodka, let it brew for several days in a dark, cool place. Then strain and dilute in half with water. Wipe areas affected by pressure sores twice a day.
3. If every day during hygiene procedures wipe the patient with a mouth rinse, you can protect a person from the appearance of diaper rash and pressure sores on the body.
4. Rosehip oil - disinfects the surface, improves bleeding, softens the skin.
5. Wheat poultice is good for bedsores. A glass of wheat should be poured with a liter of boiling water, cover the pan with a towel and leave the millet to swell. When the cereal softens and absorbs water, the mixture must be filtered. Place the gruel in a linen bag and place it under the bedsores. You need to keep it for about 20 minutes until the mass cools down.
6. The leaves of black elderberry have a pronounced antibacterial effect. Dried leaves should be evaporated in milk and applied to the affected areas of the skin.
7. The recipe for folk ointment from bedsores. Put a few pieces of butter in the pan. Fry the finely chopped onion in oil. In a separate bowl, melt the candle. Combine onion, oil and wax. With this ointment you need to lubricate bedsores several times a day. Store the prepared product in the refrigerator.
8. In the villages from the bedsores, a special mattress stuffed with straw helped. He took the form of a human body, did not press and was not rigid. In addition, straw passes oxygen well. It is best to use oat straw.
9. Mix vodka with shampoo in equal proportions and wipe them with pressure sores. This is a very good and effective tool.
10. Lungwort leaves are an excellent prevention against pressure sores. Lubricate the skin several times a day with the freshly squeezed juice of these leaves.
11. Several leaves of Kalanchoe need to be cut along so that the area of ​​the cut surface is maximum. Attach the sheet to the bedsore with the cut area and leave overnight. The plant disinfects well and heals the wound.
12. Raw potatoes need to be grated and mixed in equal amounts with fresh natural honey. Apply this mass to the wound for several hours. Honey is a natural antiseptic, and potatoes, thanks to starch, well dry wounds.

That is why bedsores need to be treated on time, and even better to do prevention. A person who cannot be moved, who is tied to a hospital bed, can get pressure sores after a couple of weeks. Therefore, it is very important to monitor its hygiene, carefully take care of the patient’s skin and toilet. In addition to hygiene, you need to follow a drinking regimen so that the skin is sufficiently elastic. Carefulness and persistence in care, compliance with all the rules and instructions of a doctor can save a person from bedsores and raise him to his feet.

Video: prevention of pressure sores in a patient with a stroke