Bedsores: Causes and How to Prevent and Treat them at Home

What are bedsores?

Bedsores or what is known as pressure ulcers are a medical condition that affects people who stay in the same position for a long time, either because of illness or because of suffering from movement problems, and ulcers occur as a result of constant friction or permanent pressure on a specific area of ​​the body without rest.

What are the causes of bedsores?

1- Exposure to pressure resulting from lying in bed for a long time.
2- Sitting for a long time due to a certain health condition.
3- Wearing a splint for a long time.
4- Low quality of health care received by the injured, especially if:

• The patient who is bedridden for long periods of time has not been moved.
• The injured was not positioned properly.
• Not taking care of the skin and the skin area exposed to pressure.

What are the stages of bedsore?
The stages of bedsores are divided into 4 stages in terms of disease progression:

• The first stage: It begins with itching, and the affected area appears red and warm to the touch.
• The second stage: open sores appear surrounded by an area that differs in color from the normal skin color.
• The third stage: the open area turns into a crater-like due to damage to the lower area of ​​the skin.
• The Fourth stage: Significant damage to the skin tissue with severe inflammation, and the appearance of the patient’s bones or muscles.

What are the areas that most susceptible to bedsores?
Bedsores can affect any area of ​​the body, but the most vulnerable places for bedsores are the areas near the bones and around the elbow, knee, heel of the foot and ankle. Bedsores often occur in people who use wheelchairs in the following skin areas:

• Coccyx or buttocks.
• Vertebral column.
• Shoulder blades.
• The back sides of the arms and legs stable on the chair.

As for people who have to stay in bed for a long time, it may occur in the following places:

• Shoulder blades.
• Coccyx, hip or lower back.
• The heel, ankle, and skin behind the knee.
• Back or sides of the head.

When bedsores are considered dangerous?
Bedsores may be more serious if:

• The elderly.
• Diabetics.
• People with circulatory problems.
• People who suffer from malnutrition.

How can bed sores be prevented?
In the case of sticking to one position or place for long periods, you can prevent bedsores by moving your position frequently and correctly to avoid pressure on the skin, in addition to drinking plenty of fluids and maintaining good nutrition and constant volatility, and of course you must visit the specialist doctor regularly to follow up on the condition and its status.

The most important ways to prevent ulcers are:

1. Stop pressure on certain areas by changing the patient’s position from time to time.
2. Turning the patient over and moving him at least once every two hours.
3. Move every 15 minutes if you sit for a long time.
4. Skin care using alcohol and moisturizing creams.
5. Follow a healthy diet rich in proteins, and drink plenty of water.
6. Inform the specialist doctor if any symptoms or signs of infection are observed.

When should you see a doctor?
The doctor specializing in general surgery, who supervises and follows up on cases of bedsores, can follow up on cases that need intense attention so that they do not reach one of the difficult and advanced stages that may force the patient to perform surgeries and operations.

The doctor does the following:

• The general surgeon supervises the case in the early stages of the bedsores signs appearance and works to clean them well, so that the wounds are free of damaged or dead tissue. The doctor also removes the damaged tissue (surgical cleaning) by gently rinsing the wound with water or excising the damaged tissue.
• He applies a bandage to help speed healing, create a barrier against infection, and keep the surrounding skin healthy.
• The doctor gives instructions to the nursing or home caregivers (male/female) regarding the number of times to change the ulcers so that the wound heals as quickly as possible.
• The doctor prescribes the types and method of applying medical creams.
• The doctor prescribes a healthy diet, as good nutrition plays an important role in the wound healing process.

What is the role of the home caregiver (male / female) towards cases of elderly people who suffer from bedsores?
DoktorCare works hard to provide all aspects of home care to reach its main goal, which is to provide all types and services of home care for the elderly and chronic conditions. In order to provide these services in the best possible way, personal interviews are conducted with home caregivers, taking into account the factor of experience in caring for the elderly, good manners, face generosity, patience, and tolerance of all circumstances in dealing with various cases of the elderly, in addition to considering elderly patients as one of their parents.

Therefore, the role of the home caregiver (male / female caregiver) includes:

• The elderly home caregiver moves and turns the patient frequently throughout the day.
• Maintaining his proper nutrition by giving him plenty of fluids and eating healthy food that is light on the stomach.
• The elderly home caregiver makes sure that the patient takes medications at the prescribed times.
• Changing places of pressure away from bed sore areas. Maintaining moisturizing these areas perfectly and permanently.
• Applying medicated creams according to the doctor’s instructions.
• Permanent follow-up and making any observations, if any, and informing the case’s family and DoktorCare team to take the necessary medical measures towards the patient.

The patient’s family must provide a movable bed for the bedsore patient to help him recover well, correctly and as soon as possible.

What is the importance of having a home nursing for bedsores?

The home nursing service is considered one of the important services in the field of providing care for cases of bedsores and taking care of wounds on a regular basis and ensuring that the condition does not worsen, as the home nursing staff works by following the necessary procedures and precautions to maintain the patient’s safety.

Among the methods of home nursing care for cases of bedsores:

• Helping the patient to change his position every hour throughout the day, whether he is in a sitting or sleeping position.
• Assist in positioning the head appropriately so that it does not exceed thirty degrees to prevent friction.
• Keeping the patient’s skin dry and clean with skin care methods without causing any ulcers, especially with cases of urinary and fecal incontinence.
• One of the most important features of the home nursing service is working under the supervision of a specialist doctor and continuous follow-up by the attending physician to remove dead skin cells to help recover as soon as possible.
• The nurse can continue taking the medication prescribed to the patient in the specified doses and at the exact times, as well as follow the healthy diet prescribed to him.

What is the role of DoktorCare towards the Egyptian society?
In our keenness to provide the best medical services that make it easier for our patients to receive medical and health care at home, we have striven to develop our services to include and cover various cases that affect the elderly and people with chronic diseases, so we provide all medical services at home cases of bedsores such as home examination doctors, nursing staff or home care (male or female caregivers).
We were and are still working to earn your precious trust by providing the best medical services that suit you.