Wound Symptoms & Causes
A chronic, non-healing wound is one that does not heal in six to eight weeks with traditional wound care. More than 5 million Americans suffer from non-healing wounds, which can cause serious infections, illness and loss of a limb. To ensure your health and safety, you should learn to recognize the causes and symptoms of non-healing wounds.
Certain health conditions can cause chronic non-healing wounds, such as:
- Anemia
- Bowel disorders
- Chronic Osteomyelitis
- Circulation or clotting disorders, often caused by arteriosclerosis
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- High Cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Kidney Failure
- Lymphedema
- Malnourishment
- Obesity
- Sickle Cell Anemia
- Venous Insufficiency
Inflammatory diseases such as:
Other causes of non-healing wounds include a past or current history of smoking, steroid use, radiation therapy, cancer or infection, lying in one position for too long or a family history of non-healing wounds.
Symptoms
Everyone experiences wounds at some point in your life, but most heal on their own with proper care. When does a wound become a chronic, non-healing wound? Look for these signs:
- Persistent, increased pain in the area of the wound
- Discoloration of the wound near the edges of the wound – often a dark or bluish color
- Increased drainage from the wound
- Redness or swelling around or spreading away from the wound
- A foul odor coming from the wound