Let’s be honest; injuries and illnesses are not nice to deal with! However, the chances are that we are going to end up experiencing them in some shape or form at points within our lives. So, how do you cope with them? Let’s take a look at three of the most common. 

Surgical Wounds After An Operation

Open surgical wound care is required if the surgical wound has not been closed with stitches, glue or staples. It may also be required if the sutures break before the wound is healed and the decision is taken not to reclose the incision surgically. The main concern with an open wound is infection.

The key to minimizing the risk of infection is to keep the wound clean and to avoid anything rubbing on it. It is advised that you avoid tight clothing around the wound area to aid in the healing process. 

Where the wound is covered with a dressing, this will need to be changed at regular intervals. Wound care that involves changing a dressing starts with ensuring that all items to be used, including your hands are clean. Medical gloves can be worn to stop any contact with the incision or surrounding area. Once the old dressing has been removed, the next stage of surgical wound care is to wash out the wound. This should be achieved with a saline solution and clean gauze. Any discharge should be inspected for signs of infection including an off yellow/green color or unpleasant smell. Once clean, the incision area should be dried carefully and a fresh sterile dressing applied. 

Care should be taken to ensure that the open area is not touched when applying the new dressing. The old dressing and items used to clean the wound should be disposed of carefully. If there is any sign of infection, you need to inform your doctor or surgeon immediately. 

Asthma

Aside from wounds after surgery, another common sort of illness that people experience is asthma. Asthma is a common type of lung condition, which impacts many people around the world. It results in occasional breathing troubles, and it can impact people of all ages. Asthma testing and treatment will depend on the extent of the breathing troubles that you are experiencing. 

There is currently no cure for asthma at present. However, there are different treatments that can help you to ensure that the symptoms do not take over your life.

Some of the common symptoms that are associated with asthma include the following: coughing, a tight chest, which can feel like there is a band that tightens around your chest, breathlessness, and wheezing, which is a whistling sound while you are breathing. 

An asthma attack is a term that is used to describe moments whereby the symptoms get worse on a temporary basis. 

If you feel that you have asthma, the best thing to do is book an appointment with your GP. Your GP will be able to assess the extent of asthma, ensuring you get the treatment that is right for you and the extent of asthma you are experiencing. 

Leg Ulcer Treatment

Leg ulcer treatment should always begin by gaining an understanding of the cause of the ulcer. These types of ulcers generally happen after a specific event that has damaged the skin, tissue and veins of the affected limb. Find out more about causes and treatments by reading on.

One of the major root causes of this type of leg ulcer is a previous break or fracture to a bone in the leg, which may cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The resulting blood clots can damage valves inside the veins, restricting the proper flow of blood to the heart. Any subsequent small break in the skin can prove hard to heal and may become infected. If the early signs are missed or treatment is not delivered, then an ulcer can form. 

Other causes range from accidents that result in chemical, thermal, mechanical or electrical trauma to the limb. The cause of the injury needs to be ascertained before the wound care can be addressed to ensure that there are no other long term concerns and to guarantee that appropriate care and treatment can be given. 

Leg ulcer treatment is likely to include a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection, as well as cleaning and dressing the wound. If the ulcer does not respond to this treatment, then other treatment options may be considered, including the use of sterile maggots to keep the wound area clean.