How to Treat Wounds That Won’t Heal Without Expert Care

Do you know that 1 out of every 6 Medicare beneficiaries suffers due to chronic wounds? Some wounds can take longer to heal compared with others, but you need to make sure you’re not ignoring an underlying problem that is causing your ulcer, sore, or cut to linger for weeks. 

If your wound is not healing despite regular cleaning and dressings, it might be a sign that you need to talk to a wound care expert. Your wound might be infected, or you might have some underlying problem that is undiagnosed. In this article, we’ll help you understand how to treat wounds that won’t heal, and why you should consider booking in-home wound care services through trusted agencies like Nurse Next Door McLean. 

How to Clean a Wound Properly at Home to Prevent Infection

Why Some Wounds Don’t Heal 

According to the National Library of Medicine, around 10.5 million Medicare beneficiaries in the United States are affected by chronic wounds. Let’s talk about some of the most common reasons for delayed wound healing. 

Diabetics most commonly suffer from non-healing or slow-healing wounds. Foot ulcers in diabetics are among the most prevalent types of chronic wounds. Diabetics experience nerve damage and poor circulation in the peripheries, which delays wound healing while also making their wounds much more prone to infection. 

Bedridden patients are especially prone to pressure ulcers in dependent areas, and pressure ulcers often affect hospitalized patients. 

Risks of Leaving a Chronic Wound Untreated 

If you’re ignoring a slow-healing wound, don’t. Because that will lead to complications that are far more stressful and harder to deal with later. Infection can spread through your skin into your soft tissue and even as far as your bones or your bloodstream. 

Slow-healing wounds tend to act as infection magnets and can be lethal if you allow the infection to spread unchecked. Treat it early and prevent the problem from snowballing. Some wounds can leave huge scars, or they can keep reopening after closing once, if you’re not receiving expert care.

How to Treat Wounds that Won’t Heal Easily 

If you want to treat wounds that are not healing, these are a few measures you can take at home. 

Wash your hands before touching the wound and wash your wound with a little bit of soap and water. Then use sterile gauze (don’t unpack it or leave it lying around beforehand) to pat it dry. Apply a clean dressing to keep the wound from drying up completely. Some moisture is important for wound healing, but you can’t have too much of it or it’ll cause an infection. 

When Is It Time to See a Wound Care Expert? 

Remember, two weeks is the deadline. If your wound hasn’t healed in two weeks, you will be better off discussing it with an expert the first chance you get. If you have diabetes, then you should see an expert for a non-healing wound within the first few days of noticing it. There are other red flags too, which you need to be on the lookout for. If your wound is oozing pus or giving off a weird odor, or if there’s redness around it that is not improving, it’s time to talk to a wound care expert. 

How Expert Care Helps Chronic Wounds Heal 

A Registered Nurse (RN) can assess and monitor the wound, identify the reason why your wound isn’t healing, stay in touch with your doctor, and provide suitable and personalized care at home. They can also figure out if it is infected and start treating that before it compromises your daily life. 

They can also monitor your blood sugar levels if you’re a diabetic and identify whether your sugar levels are interfering with wound healing or causing nerve damage. In some cases, you will need an expert to debride the wound. That means they will have to remove dead tissue from the wound so that viable tissue can start healing and growing back again. Our RNs know how to treat wounds that won’t heal and they stay by your side until you’ve fully recovered. 

Supportive In-Home Wound Care with Nurse Next Door McLean 

We’ve discussed how to treat wounds that won’t heal, and one key step in the healing process is to get personalised wound care from a Registered Nurse (RN) at home. With Nurse Next Door McLean, expert in-wound care is just one call away from you. Reach out to us at (703) 774-9421 to begin the healing process. Our RNs specialize in providing treating chronic and serious wounds. Schedule a visit now.