Get the Timely Diagnosis You Deserve for Faster Healing of Wounds!
Ouch! Do you recall the most recent time you injured your skin after falling on the playground? Or, did you accidentally cut your fingertip with a knife? Perhaps, not too long ago! You might also recall what happened following that.
The bleeding from the wound may have stopped shortly after revealing damaged, reddish skin. You may have seen a doctor if the injury was severe. The specialist would have cleaned the harmed skin and covered it with a wrap. You might have seen the injured skin turn from bright red to bluish-black over the next few days, and then the injured skin would have been replaced by new skin. After the harmed skin has healed, you might see a flesh-colored scar at the area of the injury.
If the above scenario sounds well-known, the result would be the development of wound—injuries that break the skin or other body tissues. Cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin are all examples of wounds. It is followed by normal recovery steps known as wound healing where there were no complications.
Even though minor wounds aren’t serious and will heal on their own, infected wounds can be dangerous if left untreated, so it’s important to get them diagnosed and treated on time.
This article aims to explore the wound types, the development of the wound infection process, and the significance of timely diagnosis. Keep reading!
Types of Wounds
Wounds are normally classified into four types:
- Closed Wound:
In a closed wound, the skin’s surface is normally flawless. However, damage to the underlying tissues may occur.
- Open Wound:
The skin may be cracked or split in an open wound, exposing the underlying tissues to the outside environment.
- Acute Wound:
Acute wounds heal quickly without causing any complications.
- Chronic Wound:
Chronic wounds are those that not only take a long time to heal but also result in some complications. Its healing could be influenced by different factors like the presence of a biofilm, the size and profundity of the wound site, as well as its location. It can take days to years for a wound to heal completely, depending on the severity.
Development of Wound Infections
The presence and continuous growth of microbes are one of the main reasons why wounds may not heal properly. While many microbes are good for us, some bad ones can make us sick, which is called an infection. A wound infection occurs when harmful microbes live and reproduce in a wound.
Wound infections slow down and prevent healing processes. However, conditions like poor health, old age, or diabetes can deteriorate the skin’s protective systems and increase the possibility of wound infections. It can increase discomfort, pain, and overall expenses in the emergency clinic or on treatment. In extreme cases, the spread of the contamination can likewise require the specialists to remove the infected limb!
A Closer Look at Microbes in Wounds
Once bacteria get into or settle on damaged skin, the wound gives them the nutrients they need to grow and spread the infection. Individual bacteria can develop into biofilms, which are large-scale bacterial communities, under these ideal conditions. The entire surface of a wound is covered by biofilms, which are composed of a large number of bacteria grouped to form dense, mat-like structures.
Small chemicals that bacteria produce as they grow inside the wound are used as signals to communicate with other bacteria and to affect the host’s immune cells and blood vessels. In an effort to stop the infection from spreading and kill the bacteria, immune cells can respond to these signals. However, the body is unable to remove the biofilm because of the bacteria’s high density and the toxic chemicals they produce. This can make it harder for immune cells to kill the bacteria. The biofilm expands and grows as a result, which further complicates and delays wound healing.
Seek Timely Care
Don’t let wounds harm you. If you’re living with a wound, ensure that diagnosis is done to help identify an undetected wound. Examine your wound location frequently for any signs of wound development.
If you or your loved ones have a wound that isn’t healing, it’s imperative to get it diagnosed right away to get on the road to healing. DLW offers prompt best-in-class diagnosis with scientific and clinical expertise to assist your physician in accelerating the wound healing process. With DLW’s wound panel test, prompt and accurate determination and identification of wound pathogens is possible.
When it comes to addressing a non-healing wound, healing can hardly wait. DLW is here to assist because timely wound diagnosis really matters.