Everyone has gotten a wound at least once in their life. It could be a scraped knee or elbow after face-planting while running. It could be a paper cut while reading a book or a puncture wound from a dog bite. Thankfully, with proper wound care, the wound healed just fine.
However, some people don’t see the importance of proper wound care. They often let their body’s natural defences and capability repair themselves. Although our body is capable of healing itself, we must still aid them by ensuring proper wound care; otherwise, we may suffer from several consequences.
Here are the complications of improper wound care:
1. Wound infection
Wound infection is the primary consequence of improper wound care. Infection happens when bacteria reach and enter the wound and begin to multiply.
You will know if your wound is infected if there is pus oozing from the wound, emitting a foul smell, redness and red streaks on the skin surrounding the cut, swelling, and fever. Watch out for these signs during your wound and stoma care.
2. Worsening wound
A worsening wound is a wound that takes time to heal. Instead of repairing itself, the scrape increases in size and becomes deeper. Many factors affect wound healing.
For example, one of the complications of diabetes and slow wound healing, which could easily lead to wound aggravation. Poor blood circulation can also cause the wound to heal slower. The longer the wound heals, the more prone it is to infection.
3. Scarring
Scars naturally form when a wound is healing. Collagen begins to mend broken or open skin together and increase protection from foreign bodies. However, severe scarring may be a product of improper wound care.
Typically, a wound that receives proper care can minimise the scarring. Scarring is more apparent when the cut is not properly taken care of.
4. Fever
As mentioned, fever can be a sign of wound infection. People get the fever to impede or contain bacterial or viral growth in the body as pathogens have a lower survival rate in high temperatures. If you have a wound and begin having a fever, maybe your wound care is not enough.
Never overlook your wounds. as they can bring medical conditions. Make sure you have the correct wound care practice.
Find wound and stoma care products and incontinence care supplies, including a catheter, at Coloplast Singapore. Visit Coloplast Singapore for more information.
