Poor Circulation During the healing process, your body's red blood cells carry new cells to the site to begin rebuilding tissue. Poor blood circulation can slow down this process, making the wound that much longer to heal. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, can cause poor blood circulation.
How long it takes to heal a wound depends on how large or deep the cut is. It may take up to a few years to completely heal. An open wound may take longer to heal than a closed wound. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, after about 3 months, most wounds are repaired.
Wet or moist treatment of wounds has been shown to promote re-epithelialization and result in reduced scar formation, as compared to treatment in a dry environment. The inflammatory reaction is reduced in the wet environment, thereby limiting injury progression.
Any wound that does not heal within a few weeks should be examined by a healthcare professional because it might be infected, might reflect an underlying disease. Wound is a sore on the skin or a mucous membrane, accompanied by the disintegration of tissue.
A wound is considered chronic if it has not healed significantly in four weeks or completely in eight weeks. If you're suffering from a wound or sore that isn't showing any signs of healing, talk to your doctor. If left untreated, chronic wounds can cause dangerous complications.
Factors that can slow the wound healing process include: Dead skin (necrosis) – dead skin and foreign materials interfere with the healing process. Infection – an open wound may develop a bacterial infection. The body fights the infection rather than healing the wound.
Redness. The area may be swollen, sore, and red in color right after you've sustained your injury. This is normal as blood is being sent to the area to supply oxygen and other nutrients for healing. But if the wound is still red and swollen after five days, it's a sign that your body is not healing correctly.
If the drainage is thin and clear, it's serum, also known as serous fluid. This is typical when the wound is healing, but the inflammation around the injury is still high. A small amount of serous drainage is normal. Excessive serous fluid could be a sign of too much unhealthy bacteria on the surface of the wound.
The moisture-fluid balance is the optimal condition for adequate wound healing, that is, a warm moist environment. Too much moisture leads to maceration, swelling, and disruption of the structures of the dermis.
How long it takes: Usually about 4-6 days. Signs it's working: During this stage of healing, you may experience swelling, redness or pain while your wound heals. Your skin may also feel hot to the touch, and you may see a clear liquid around your wound.
If the wound environment is dry, the cells will have to find moisture deep in the wound bed so that they can migrate. This slows down the healing process. In fact, studies show that moist wounds heal 50 % faster than dry wounds.
Small cuts and scrapes can be left uncovered, but moisture is usually needed to help speed up the healing process. Apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and cover with an adhesive bandage any exposed wounds that might become dirty on the hands, feet, arms or legs.
A handful of studies have found that when wounds are kept moist and covered, blood vessels regenerate faster and the number of cells that cause inflammation drop more rapidly than they do in wounds allowed to air out. It is best to keep a wound moist and covered for at least five days.
Clean the wound and apply a dressing
When the wound has stopped bleeding, clean it and cover it with a dressing to help stop it becoming infected. To do this: wash and dry your hands thoroughly. clean the wound under drinking-quality running tap water – avoid using antiseptic as it may damage the skin and slow healing.
“A wound that's oozing pus definitely means you have a bacterial infection,” said Dr. Brady Didion, a Marshfield Clinic Health System family medicine physician. An incision or wound that's healing well looks slightly red and may seep clear fluid. An infected wound may ooze whitish, yellowish or greenish pus.
See your doctor immediately if you notice a change in color or odor of the fluid oozing from your wound. Purulent drainage is yellow, green, brown, or white and has a strong odor. The earlier an infection is caught, the easier it can be treated.
Wound healing can be delayed by systemic factors that bear little or no direct relation to the location of the wound itself. These include age, body type, chronic disease, immunosuppression, nutritional status, radiation therapy, and vascular insufficiencies.
Healthy granulation tissue is pink in colour and is an indicator of healing. Unhealthy granulation is dark red in colour, often bleeds on contact, and may indicate the presence of wound infection.
Remodeling or also known as maturation phase is the fourth and final phase in wound healing and lasts from 21 days up to 2 years. In this final and longest phase, collagen synthesis is ongoing in order to strengthen the tissue. Remodeling occurs as wound continues to contract and fibers are being reorganized.
Signs of wound infection
But cloudy, yellow-ish drainage or purulent discharge with a pungent or foul odor accompanied with swelling and elevated pain is a sign of an infected wound. Pimple: When a pimple-like crust forms on an injury, it indicates an infection.
As you can see, it's important to understand the five reasons why a wound won't heal: poor circulation, infection, edema, insufficient nutrition, and repetitive trauma to the wound.
In most cases, a wound is nearly repaired (closed) within three months, though this “remodeling” process can continue on a cellular level for a few years. At this stage, you may notice itching, puckering, or stretching around your wound, which usually fades with time.