Bed sores typically appear in people who have been inactive, and usually bed ridden for months or even years. These sores are also called pressure sores or pressure ulcers. They form because there is constant pressure on the skin without any movement or change in position. Ankles, hips, heel and buttocks are common areas for bed sores. Sores can go as deep as the bone too if not treated properly so constant vigilance of the sores is a must.
For people who are paralysed, this is a common occurrence. Along with trying home remedies to heal the bed sores, also remember to change positions for the patients regularly, because that is something they cannot do on their own. Use pillows to create comfort in bony areas if the patient is thin or lies constantly on one side. If your patient wears an adult diaper, you need to be vigilant about changing that too. Moisture especially from urine can be harmful to the skin.
Some home remedies for bed sores are:
- Keeping the area of the infection dry. Use medicated powders to keep the sore dry.
- Liquid vitamin E on a cotton swab can help the sores heal faster. You can prick capsules of vitamin E to get liquid vitamin E.
- Honey on a salve also helps bed sores. It’s important to change this salve everyday and disinfect and dry the sores between changes.
- A mixture of flower of sulphur and cornstarch can help bed sores.
- Aloe vera gel is also very soothing on bed sores. So is calendula lotion. Diaper rash ointment also works well.
- A tincture of iodine and sugar together is believed to help fill bed sores. But this is not advisable for patients who already have existing conditions like diabetes that will get affected with sugar.
- Keep the clothing and the bed linen of soft cotton allowing the skin to breathe.
- You can regularly wash the sores with salt water or saline solution to clean and disinfect the sores before applying any home remedy.
- Spraying some disinfectant on the sore, especially when open, might help kill the germs.
There are many medicated creams and treatments to help with bed sores. Speak to your physician for an effective treatment for bed sores. If you patient has diabetes, bed sores and its degradation should be checked very vigilantly.
Reference:
- http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Pressure_sores
- http://guideline.gov/syntheses/synthesis.aspx?id=25078
hmmm - I don't really know for sure... I guess it's not something one could figure out logically... hey, for fun, let's try
answered by A S