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.
Pain. Pain is an essential indicator of poor wound healing and should not be underestimated. Pain can occur from the disease process, surgery, trauma, infection or as a result of dressing changes and poor wound management practices.
Over time, the new tissue gets stronger. You might notice stretching, itching, and even puckering of the wound as that happens. Within 3 months, the wound is almost as strong in its repair as it was before the trauma. The entire healing process might take a couple of years to complete.
Wounds need to be covered so that they can heal properly. When a wound is left uncovered, the new surface cells that are being created can easily dry out. When these important cells dry out, it tends to slow down the healing process. A wound should be covered using a clean bandage.
As a wound continues to heal, the red tissue will transition to a lighter pink color, which is a very good sign for the patient.
Wounds heal faster if they are kept warm. Try to be quick when changing dressings. Exposing a wound to the open air can drop its temperature and may slow healing for a few hours. Don't use antiseptic creams, washes or sprays on a chronic wound.
Wound healing can be delayed by factors local to the wound itself, including desiccation, infection or abnormal bacterial presence, maceration, necrosis, pressure, trauma, and edema. Desiccation.
It shows signs of infection
Signs a wound may be infected include: Increasing pain or redness. Drainage or bleeding that won't stop. Fever and chills.
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. Such wounds should be cultured and treated in the light of microbiological results.
Symptoms of Non-Healing Wounds
Increasing inflammation or redness around the wound. Pain that is getting worse or doesn't seem to improve. Wounds that are weeping or leaking or start to smell bad. If the edges around the wound develop a dark or blueish color.
Itching is a natural part of the body's healing process. When the skin is injured, the body sends blood cells to the area to repair the damage. These cells release substances that cause inflammation and itchiness, a sign that the healing process is underway.
The Healing Process
Before healing begins, the body gears up to protect against infection. For the first few days, a wound may be swollen, red, and painful. This inflammation is a sign of the body's immune system kicking in to protect the wound from infection.
Inflammatory phase
Platelets release platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-b) from their alpha granules to attract neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils scavenge for bacteria and foreign debris. Macrophages are the most important mediators of wound healing.
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.
Over time, the pinkish color fades, and the scar becomes slightly darker or lighter than the color of the skin. In people with dark skin, scars often appear as dark spots. Sometimes scars itch, and they may be painful or tender.
Maceration occurs when skin has been exposed to moisture for too long. A telltale sign of maceration is skin that looks soggy, feels soft, or appears whiter than usual. There may be a white ring around the wound in wounds that are too moist or have exposure to too much drainage.
Deeper lacerations may take several weeks and even months to completely heal, and they may require stitches and other treatment from medical professionals to prevent complications and scarring.
Q: Is it better to bandage a cut or sore, or air it out? A: Airing out most wounds isn't beneficial because wounds need moisture to heal. Leaving a wound uncovered may dry out new surface cells, which can increase pain or slow the healing process.
Colder temperatures can slow blood flow, which is important for the wound healing process. Poor circulation prevents oxygenation of a wound site and inhibits tissue regeneration.
Surgical wounds are more likely to heal slower during summers as overexposure to the sun rays affects the healing of wounds. Surgical scars and wound heal more quickly during winter months.