Table of Contents [ Hide ]
3. What are the Risk Factors of Bed Sores?
4. What are the Symptoms of Bed Sores?
5. How to Treat Bed Sores At Home?
What are Bed Sores?
Bed sores are painful and sometimes infected areas on the surface of skin, as a result of immobility of a person such as: lying in bed or using wheelchair for a long time. It is also known as a pressure ulcer or pressure sore. The phenomenon usually occurs among elderly or senior persons, however, it can also occur in people who are in bedridden condition, or in coma or are immobile due any other reason. The most commonly affected areas include hip, buttocks, lower back and shoulder blades [1].
What causes Bed Sores?
The main cause of bed sores, as mentioned above, is undue friction or pressure on the skin. It can be result of maintaining the same position on a certain area for long periods. Additionally, bed sores can be caused by diabetes, age, loss of sensation in certain body parts, weight loss after long time of illnesses, lack of nutrition, very dry skin with dehydration and excessive smoking [2].
What are the Risk Factors of Bed Sores?
You need to take a look at all of the following factors that can easily put you at higher risk of bed sores. They include:
corticosteroid use
decreased level of consciousness
fecal or urinary incontinence
immobility
inactivity
poor nutrition
In addition, medical condition can partly contribute to some symptoms of bed sores. Some of the following medical conditions consits of:
cancer malignancies
infections
What are the Symptoms of Bed Sores?
Bedsores are divided into four stages, which relies on the severity of the damaged skin.
Stage I (the earliest signs)— People who have pale skin or white people can develop the lasting patch of the red skin which does not become white as you use your fingers to press it. With people who have skin darker, the patch can turn red, blue or purple and thereby making it difficult to recognize. The skin might become tender or itchy. It can also feel firm and cold or warm.
Stage II— The damaged skin can develop and blister open sore and abrasion which does not spread through the thickness of the skin. In fact, there remains a surrounding skin area of purple or red discoloration, some oozing or mild sweating.
Stage III— The ulcer gets a crater and it is under the skin surface.
Stage IV— The crater will deeper as well as reach to a bone, tendon, joint or and muscle.
Since affected skin area can let bacteria enter, bedsores are very vulnerable to the infection. This is true if the sore is affected by feces or urine. Signs of the infection in a bedsore include:
A smelling odor
Fever
Pus draining from the sore
Redness, tenderness and heat in the surrounding skin
How to Treat Bed Sores At Home?
In fact, one of the most effective ways for treating bed sore is moving around regualary. This will ward off the constant pressure on your body, hence redistributing the body weight as well as promoting the blood flow to all tissues.
In case you cannot move, you should ask for help to reposition for at least each 2 hours or 15 minutes while seating in the chair. Foam wedges or pillows are of great help to shift the weight. Also, range of motion exercies support the contractures prevention, circulation improvement and muscle mass maintainance.
Take a note that your bed wen you are sleeping ought not to be lifted more than 30 degrees because this tends to relieve the shearing forces. Besides, for the same reason, a pull-sheet need to be used in order to help reposition in bed.
Apart from those mentioned ways above, bed sores can be treated effectively with the help of some home remedies.
Here are top 15 most useful home remedies for bed sores which you can easily apply at home for your members in order to help reduce pain, promote healing and reduce the risk of infection from bed sores…
1. Honey
Honey is one of the most effective home remedies for bed sores treatment. It is a natural antiseptic agent; and can help soften the skin, reduce pain and promote the healing process [3][4].
How to use:
Mix equal amounts of both sugar and honey well to form a thick mixture.
Apply directly the mixture on bed sores and cover them with a clean piece of bandage.
Use this remedy once a day until you can get rid of bed sores.
In addition to bed sores, honey is also great home remedy for many other health problems. You can read more at: How to Get Rid of Hyperpigmentation.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera contains soothing and healing properties, so it can promote healing and reduce risk of infection. Thus it makes a perfect solution for how to cure bed sores naturally[5][6].
How to use:
Clean the bed sores by water.
Extract the gel from the leaf.
Apply directly this gel on bed sores and gently rub for 5 minutes.
Let it dry.
Use this home remedy for bed sores 3 times daily to have the best result in getting rid of bed sores.
Besides, you can read more at: Home Remedies for Stretch Marks to learn more about Aloe Vera’s other properties.
3. Turmeric
Another effective method on how to heal bed sores is turmeric because it has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant properties, which can promote healing process and reduce risk of infection [7][8]. This is the reason why turmeic is considered as among safe and natural home remedies for bed sore.
How to use:
Clean bed sores by water.
Apply turmeric powder on the affected skin area and cover them with a clean bandage.
Use this remedy 3 times a day until the condition improves.
You can read more at: Home Remedies for Acne Scars to learn more about turmeric’s benefits.
4. Coconut Oil
Another way to aid in treaing bed sore at home is coconut oil. This home remedy for bed sores can keep the affected skin moisturized; prevent the skin from the damages caused by pressure in a long time. Furthermore, massaging your body with this oil can encourage blood circulation [9][10].
How to use:
Warm some coconut oil and apply it on your back and limbs.
Massage gently these areas until your skin can absorb all oil.
Repeat this remedy 3 to 4 times a day to get rid of bed sores quickly.
Besides, you can use coconut oil in many other ways to promote your health. To learn another benefit of coconut oil, read more at Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus.
5. Saline Water
Saline water is one of the most effective yet so simple home remedies for bed sores. It helps clean the sores, prevent sores from infection and promote the healing process.
How to use:
Add 2 teaspoons of salt to a cup of boiling water.
Let it cool and use it to clean sores.
Repeat about twice a day to support healing process.
6. Papaya Milk
Papaya milk is an effective solution for bed sores home remedies through getting rid of dead flesh and promoting the healing process.
How to use:
Soak a bandage in papaya “milk” from either the trunk or green fruit.
Apply it on the sores at least 3 times daily.
7. Comfrey Leaves
Comfrey is one of the effective herbal home remedies for bed sores by reducing pain and inflammation. The simple application is easy to follow, hence reducing the symptoms of bed sores.
How to use:
Mix equal parts of comfrey leaf powder and slippery elm.
Add a little water to form a paste.
Apply this mixture on sores and cover them with a clean bandage.
Let it stand overnight and wash it off with saline water in the next morning.
Use this home remedy for bed sores once a day.
8. Goldenseal
Goldenseal contains antiseptic properties, which can help reduce risk of infection, reduce pain and inflammation. It become one of the most workable bed sore home treatments.
How to use:
Steep 1 teaspoon of goldenseal powder in a cup of boiling water for some minutes.
Strain it and let it cool.
Use this tea to clean sores at least twice a day.
Or you can mix 1 goldenseal powder with vitamin E oil and then apply this mixture on sores 3 times daily.
9. Vitamin C
If you are not fond of those above treatments, then let’s go for another natural remedies for bed sore, which is Vitamin C. Vitamin C is very necessary for a healthy skin; helps boost the immune system and reduce the risk of infection. So vitamin C helps promote the healing process in the pressure sores treatment.
How to use:
Add more foods rich in vitamin C to your diet like: green vegetables, oranges, lemons, papaya, and so on.
Or take about 500 milligrams of vitamin C and an equal amount of bioflavonoids three times a day to have similar result in treating bed sores.
10. Zinc
Zinc can help boost immune system and promote the healing process, which makes it become an essential element for bed sores treatment at home.
How to use:
Take about 15 milligrams of zinc three times a day. You should consume it with food to avoid stomach upset.
11. Witch Hazel
Another method from those home remedies for bed sores and support treating process is witch hazel, which acts as an astringent and myrrh, which acts as a resin. So a mixture of witch hazel and myrrh is a good solution for bed sores.
How to use:
Mix equal amounts of witch hazel and myrrh.
Use this mixture to clean the sores twice to 4 times daily.
12. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly can keep the skin moisturized and promote the healing process in pressure sores treatment at home.
How to use:
Apply petroleum jelly on the sores and use a clean bandage to cover it.
Use this home remedy for bed sore once daily.
13. Milk of Magnesia
You might be surprised at this drink but magnesia milk is among top home remedies for bed sore.
How to use:
Mix milk of magnesia and iodine to make a paste.
Apply this mixture on the affected skin areas at least twice a day.
14. Lysol
How to use:
Put Lysol in a spray bottle and spray it on the sores.
Use this method for pressure sores treatment about twice or thrice times a day to promote healing process.
15. Skin Massage
Massage is an effective home remedy for bed sores by speeding up blood circulation and promote the healing process in getting rid of bed sores.
You should massage the body with essential oils and repeat once daily to have the positive result.
Besides home remedies for bed sores above, you should frequently change the position of your body to reduce the stress and pressure on the skin. You can combine many home remedies together and frequently apply these home remedies to have the best result as soon as possible.
How To Prevent Bed Sore?
Following are another tips that can help you prevent against bed sores in the future:
Change positions regualarly
Changing positions will help lower the risk of contracting bed sores. For instance, if you are lying on the back, turn your side. If you cannot move, ask for family’s members tp help you do so.
Keep skin clean and dry
Do remember that the drier and cleaner your skin is, the less likely you suffer from bed sores. All you need to do is cleaning yourself with a warm wash rag and mild soap. Next, make your skin dry using a towel. Don’t rub too hard because it can cause irritation.
Use pillows
You had better place pillows among your body parts which press against each other. Health experts suggest that pillows should be put under your shoulders, heels, tailbone and elbows. When you have been lying on your side, it is recommended to put pillows between your ankles and knees.
Exercise
If you are unable to move, the idea of exercise seems to be daunting. However, a recent study has stated that several motion exercises right in your bed helps reduce the chance of getting bed sores significantly.
You can begin with lifting an arm as high as you can and then keep it for about 10 seconds. Perform this simple exercise on the other arm.
