Stages of Wound Healing
- Hemostasis – The hemostasis phase begins immediately after being wounded. In this phase, the body begins trying to heal the wound and stop the bleeding. Your blood cells will begin to clump together and clot. Your body will also begin to produce fibrin, a protein that creates a kind of net to hold the blood clot in place.
- Inflammatory Phase In Wound Healing – The inflammatory phase of wound healing is designed to stimulate the body’s healing processes. Your blood vessels will begin opening up to allow nutrients and oxygen to reach the wound to heal it. If the wound doesn’t get enough oxygen or gets too much oxygen, it might heal poorly. Your white blood cells act as a wound protector to fight infection and accelerate tissue repair. Your body may release clear fluids as the wound heals to clean out the wound.
- Proliferative Phase of Wound Healing – The proliferative phase of wound healing is the growth and rebuilding phase. Your oxygen-rich blood cells will help your body build new tissues to heal the wound. It will also release chemical signals to create collagen for further repair. Your body may also begin creating scar tissue to cover and protect the wound.
- Remodeling Phase In Tissue Repair – The remodeling phase is when the tissue becomes stronger. During this phase, you will experience itching, and the skin over the wound may stretch or pucker. This process is usually fully complete within three months, but larger wounds can take one or two years to complete this phase fully.
Factors Affecting Wound Healing
Sometimes, something can interrupt the wound healing process. If you don’t properly clean the wound after it occurs or the wound becomes infected during the healing process, it may not heal properly or at all. Other factors can cause barriers to the wound healing process:
- Age – Elderly people have a slower healing response time and thinner skin that is more likely to tear as the wound heals. They also have reduced collagen and elastin production, which can affect the proliferative phase in wound healing. They are at a higher risk of skin infections and bacterial growth because the pH levels of their skin are more neutral.
- Illness or Disease – Certain illnesses and diseases can also affect the wound healing process. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, vascular disease, obesity, immune suppression, or cardiopulmonary disease will have a slower wound healing time or may have chronic wounds.
- Poor Blood Flow or Oxygenation – One of the most common causes of poor wound healing is a lack of blood flow or oxygen to the wound site. Oxygen and nutrients are essential to wound healing, and a wound that isn’t getting enough blood will take twice as long to heal if it heals at all.
- Damaged Skin – If your skin is damaged or impaired from an existing condition like peripheral neuropathy, your wound might not heal well or at all.
Why Choose Mobile Wounds
At Mobile Wounds, we are leaders in mobile wound care across the country. Our mission is to provide innovative and personalized wound care that ensures optimal healing and improved outcomes for all patients. Our team includes experienced and highly skilled medical professionals who provide convenient wound care services in the comfort and privacy of your own home. We have extensive experience managing complex wounds, chronic wounds, ulcers, and burns and looking for signs of infection or serious complications during the healing process. Our team will come to you and care for your wound and provide education, instruction, and resources for proper at-home wound care.
Learn More About Our Mobile Wound Care Services
Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have wounds that are not healing properly. If you don’t know how to care for a wound yourself or are concerned that your wound is getting worse or becoming infected, our team at Mobile Wounds can help. Call us today or find a provider to learn more about our mobile wound care services in the San Antonio, TX, area.
