A sore or ulcer on the skin is a part of the skin that has been damaged or broken. Pressure sores can be extremely uncomfortable and tend to happen when an individual places continuous pressure on the some part of the skin. This kind of pressure sore is most common amongst people who are bedridden or have limited mobility. Pressure sores are often known as bed sores particularly if there are pressure sores on the buttocks. An individual who is immobile will spend long periods of time sitting on the buttocks or sleeping on the buttocks. This is the reason for pressure sores on the buttocks.
Pressure sores are a serious problem for patients and healthcare givers. These sores are a source of great discomfort and may even allow opportunistic infections access to the body. An individual who suffers from pressure sores may already be seriously ill. This is particularly true of patients who are bed ridden because of problems other than paralysis. Paralytic patients may be otherwise fairly healthy. When pressure sores develop, the inner layers of skin are exposed. These layers do not have the infection protection that exists in the upper layers. Therefore, the chances of an infection entering the body are fairly high. This happens a lot in patient homes as the sanitation of these homes is obviously less thorough and effective as that of a hospital or nursing home.
There are many ways to prevent pressure sores. Pressure sores occur when the skin is damp and not properly ventilated. They also occur when the skin has continuous pressure on it for long periods of time. Therefore, the ways to prevent pressure sores include regular cleaning of the buttocks, legs and back. This should be done at least twice or thrice a day to prevent pressure sores. The patient should also be moved every two hours in order to prevent pressure sores. Many immobile patients need adult diapers. In such a situation, the diaper should be cleaned or changed the moment any urine or motion has been passed. This will prevent the formation of pressure sores on the buttocks. There is another good method to prevent pressure sores. The back, buttocks and legs of the patient should be powdered with a medicated powder of some sort. This will help to reduce the humidity on the skin and will also kill some of the surface infections of the patient. Both these factors are important when it comes to the development of pressure sores in the first place. Therefore, these methods can be used to prevent pressure sores as also could be used in healing pressure sores.
There are also other factors that play a role in the development of pressure sores. The diet of an individual is one such factor. If the diet of an individual is good, it is likely that the skin will be in good health. Healthy skin is far less likely to break than dry or patchy skin. Therefore, one method to prevent pressure sores is to ensure that the diet of the patient is good and healthy. The diet obviously depends on the medical condition of the patient. Within the parameters of the patient’s health, one can ensure that the most nutritious diet is provided with enough vitamins and minerals to ensure good skin health and thus provide effective pressure sore treatment.
While washing the skin, one can use some methods to prevent pressure sores. The skin can be washed with a mild soap. One should also gently massage the skin rather than aggressively scrubbing it. It may also be necessary, based on the skin condition and the environmental conditions to apply some form of moisturizing product to the skin to ensure its good health. Pressure sores and ulcers could be a rather dangerous condition and therefore proper ulcer treatment could be taken by consulting your doctor.