Understanding the Wound Healing Process
The wound healing process is a natural recovery response to damaged tissue. Mild wounds can heal with their own home treatment, but there are some medical conditions that cause the wound to heal.
Injuries are injuries that involve the destruction of body tissues and commonly occur in the skin. The skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays a role in protecting the body from microbes (viruses, fungi, bacteria). If the skin is injured, the germ can easily enter the skin and cause infection.
Berets, punctures, incisions, and burns are wound forms. In addition, the former surgical suture is also classified into the wound. The most common causes of injury are exposure to sharp objects, falling, scalding, and accidents.
How Does the Healing Cure Work?
The wound can heal by itself through self-care at home. Wound care independently can be done if the wound is not too deep, not in dangerous body parts, for example in the face, and bleeding stops in a short time or about 10 minutes.
The wound healing process requires several stages:
- Stage inflammation or inflammation
In the early stages of wound healing process, blood vessels will narrow to stop bleeding. Platelets (cells that play a role in blood clotting) clot in the wound area. After the freezing is complete, the blood vessels will dilate to drain the blood to the wound area. This is the reason why the wound feels warm, swollen, and redness Then, white blood cells flood the area to prevent infection, by destroying bacteria and other microbes. White blood cells also produce chemical compounds that help repair damaged tissue. Next the new skin cells grow so that it closes the wound area. - The fibroblastic stage
This stage is the stage of scar tissue formation after the wound. At this wound healing stage, collagen begins to grow inside the wound. Collagen is a protein fiber that gives skin strength. The presence of collagen pushes the edge of the wound to shrink and close. Furthermore, small blood vessels (capillaries) are formed in the wound to give blood intake to newly formed skin. - Maturation stage
Collagen production continues to grow so that damaged tissues recover slowly. The maturation process can take months or even years. This is why the longer the scar fades.
Once the damaged tissue has completely recovered, the skin will become as strong as it was before it was injured. However, the appearance of scar skin may differ from normal skin. This is because the skin is composed of two proteins, the collagen that gives the skin strength, and elastin that gives the skin elasticity. On the scar, the skin can not produce new elastin, so the scar is made entirely of collagen. The skin on this scar is strong, but less flexible than the surrounding skin.
Certain Conditions Causing Hard Sores Heal
There are some conditions that cause difficult to heal that is:
- Bleeding
Bleeding makes the wound difficult to close, making it difficult to heal. - Foreign objects
Foreign body, including dead skin tissue, inhibits wound healing process. Dirty sores are also susceptible to bacterial infections so that the healing process can be disrupted. Therefore, it is very important to clean the wound and treat the wound properly. - Friction
Friction wounds with clothes can aggravate his condition. It is recommended to wear soft clothing and cover the wound to avoid friction. - Age
The wound tends to heal longer in the elderly. - Lack of nutrition
Lack of nutrients such as vitamin C, protein, and iron, can inhibit wound healing process. - Smoking
Research shows that the wound healing process in smokers is much longer and imperfect compared to people who do not smoke. This is thought to be related to the effects of smoking that can interfere with the performance of white blood cells and disrupt blood flow, as well as high levels of toxins in the blood. - Stress
Physical and psychological stress is proven to affect the inhibition of wound healing process. This is thought to be related to the effects of stress on the low amount of oxygen in the blood so that the wound healing process becomes longer. When experiencing stress, a person is also more likely to undergo unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, thus contributing to wound healing. - Medicine
Injuries to patients undergoing dialysis, chemotherapy, treatment with corticosteroids or blood-thinning drugs, tend to be more difficult to recover. - Disease
The wound healing process is strongly influenced by blood flow and the role of white blood cells as part of the immune system. Blood-related diseases, such as anemia and vascular disease, can decrease the blood supply to the wound tissue thus slowing down the recovery process.
Diabetes is also one of the conditions that cause the injury to heal. Injuries in diabetics tend to be more difficult to heal. Even small wounds can deteriorate rapidly and become a dangerous infection if not treated immediately. Foot wounds are the most common injuries in diabetics. In severe cases, leg amputation should be done to prevent infection from spreading.
The slow wound healing process is caused by high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar lowers blood flow, blocks cells getting nutrients and oxygen, disrupts the immune system, and increases the risk of inflammation. This condition will certainly hinder the process of wound recovery.
The time it takes the wound to completely recover depends on the wound condition. The larger, deep, and dirty the wound conditions, the longer the healing process. If you have serious injuries or bleeding on unstoppable wounds, you should seek help from a doctor or health care provider and undergo wound care at the hospital.
