wound health
BY Ms. RENU SANDHU Nursing Tutor , Ms. PUSHPA RANI Assistant Prof.
Faridkot
26 June 2026
A wound is an interruption to skin integrity caused by physical trauma or disease. Everybody experiences wounds and most wounds heal uneventfully; however, a significant minority of people have wounds that are very slow to heal or which do not heal at all. Wounds generally heal in 4 to 6 weeks. Chronic wounds are those that fail to heal within this time frame. There are few factors such as hypoxia, bacterial colonization, ischemic, altered cellular response and collagen synthesis defects. Wound healing is a natural physiological reaction to tissue injury. However, wound healing is not a simple phenomenon and involves a complex interplay between numerous cell types, cytokines, mediators, and the vascular system.
A wound is defined as the breakage in the continuity of the skin. The structure of the skin is complex and wound biology is understood by knowing the factors influencing the local physiological environment. Many local conditions influence wound occurrence, persistence, and healing. Exposed skin surface which comprises of subcutaneous tissue helps wide range of microorganisms to colonize on the substratum. The microflora of chronic wounds is much more complicated than previously appreciated, as they have complex structures and wide range populations. Both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms are there in acute and chronic wounds .Rest the prevalence of contamination by microorganisms also depends on a person’s immunity or body-host defense. If the host immune response is compromised, involved tissue is devitalized by ischemic, hypoxic, or necrotic conditions that favor microbial growth .
EXPANSE OF TEXT : From ancient time it has been a misconception that if you get hurt somewhere and got open wound, keep it open to heal faster, that is a total misconception and many studies have proved that wounds heal faster if they are kept warm. Try to be quick when changing dressings. Exposing a wound to open air can drop its temperature and may slow its healing for few hours. The best treatment for wound healing is to gently wash the area with mild soap and water to keep out germs and remove debris. As discussed above, that moisture is imperative to keep wound healthy and for quick healing, petroleum jelly can be used in such instances. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab which ultimately promotes healing as wounds with the scabs take longer to heal. Whereas, betadine also plays a vital role to help in healing of an open wound by preventing infection on wound site. Clean the wound first and then apply betadine as directed by your health consultant. Bacitracin, bacitracin and polymyxin B (Polysporin) and neomycin (Neosporin) are three great over- the-counter ointments for wound care. Meanwhile, talking about the routine care of a wound includes washing hands before cleaning the area twice daily with soap and water and apply a new bandage and ointment after cleaning. This care needs to be continued until the area/wound is healed. Whereas, deep or gaping wounds may need stitches or other wound care from a health professional.
Microbial wound contaminants can arise from three main sources: (i) the environment (exogenous microorganisms in the air or those introduced by traumatic injury) (ii) the surrounding skin (involving members of the normal skin microflora such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, micrococci, skin diphtheroid, and Propionibacterium) and (iii) endogenous sources involving mucous membranes (primarily the gastrointestinal, oropharyngeal, and genitourinary mucosae).
Nevertheless , many herbs heal wound naturally like aloe vera , calendula, marshmallow and tea tree oil, Vitamin C contains ascorbic acid (AA) is involved in all the phases of wound healing. Apart from the turmeric milk, yoghurt (contains the high content of zinc and protein), vit. D , pineapple juice, honey, broccoli, lemon water , garlic extract , jatyadi oil, ginger, coconut oil, Marigold, cloves, potato peels and strawberries help the process even faster.
In the inflammatory phase it is required for neutrophil apoptosis and clearance during proliferative phase, amino acids contributes towards synthesis, maturation, secretion and degradation of collagen. Sugar and alcohol can further worsen the healing process.
So, covering wound with right advice of your health care professional enhances all these mechanism of healing as it also prevents the soreness of wound and disintegration of tissue. Lifestyle adaptations like exercise and increased hydration can keep the process working properly.
Why is learning wound care important ? The purpose of wound care is to help you heal faster so you can get back to your life . A chronic wound can detract from your quality of life and prevent you from doing things of your daily life. There are 7 essential steps for wound care that everyone should follow :
Step 1: Wash your hands
Step 2 : Stop the bleeding
Step 3: Clean the wound
Step 4: Apply antibacterial ointment
Step 5: Protect the wound
Step 6 : Change the dressing
Step 7 : Observe symptoms
Acute and Chronic Wound Healing : Wounds can be classified into two broad types, acute wounds, and chronic wounds. Acute wounds heal normally in a very orderly and efficient manner. They are characterized by four distinct, but overlapping phases: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. These wounds progress through the normal stages of wound healing such as inflammation, proliferation and remodeling and show definite signs of healing within 2–4 weeks. In contrast, chronic wounds do not follow the sequential stages of healing (they often get “stalled” in one phase) and fail to show evidence of healing within 4 weeks and are called the chronic wounds.
Wound and major medical ailments: During normal physiological processes such as wound healing (as in case of acute wounds), inflammatory cells are recruited to the site of injury and help in tissue repair through secretion of cytokines and growth factors that promote tissue remodeling and angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is impaired in all chronic wounds leading to further tissue damage resulting in chronic hypoxia and impaired micronutrient delivery. Vasculopathies associated with diabetes include abnormal blood vessel formation (e.g., retinopathy, nephropathy), decreased angiogenesis and accelerated atherosclerosis leading to coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Of all the angiogenic stimulators, VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) does play a crucial role in wound healing. Many studies have shown that diabetic chronic wounds have insufficient VEGF and application of VEGF stimulates healing of chronic wounds in animal models.
Non healing wounds and cancer suspect: In normal wound healing, inflammation subsides once the tissue repair is completed. In contrast, the regulation of inflammatory cells and cytokines are circumvented during neoplastic progression which has resulted in the characterization of tumors as wounds that never heal . Chronic inflammation, a hallmark of the non-healing wound, may ultimately predispose these wound sites to potential malignant change. Thus, in the case of chronic wounds, it is very clear that attempting to understand and determine the underlying cause of failure to progress in a timely fashion through the wound healing stages is the key to turn a chronic wound into a healing wound, and also divert it from neoplastic progression.