Wounds Need Oxygen – Hyperbaric Treatment

Wounds Need Oxygen – Hyperbaric Treatment

If you have a wound that won’t heal, lingers for weeks, then you need to seek medical advice. Chronic wounds are sores that don’t heal within about 3 months. The wound might have been caused by many number of reasons and whatever the reason, if they don’t get better you could be facing a problem.

The physicians at American Foot and Leg Specialists, located in Forest Park, Stockbridge, Fayetteville, and Locust Grove see patients on a daily basis that have a wound that won’t heal because many of the wounds that don’t heal are located on the foot or leg area.

 

Causes of a Chronic Wound

  • Diabetes –
    Diabetic patients are always at a greater risk for developing wounds. Dibetics often lose feeling in one or both feet and may not notice a wound that hasn’t healed. The podiatrists encourage their diabetic patients to have regular check up’s including toenail cutting to prevent any cuts or wounds before they become infected. Diabetics often have compromised ability to fight infection putting them at greater risk for infection and even the possibility of amputation.
  • Swelling in the legs –
    Venous leg ulcers can stem from uncontrolled swelling in the legs and tend to weep because the legs are overfilled with fluid. People prone to blood clots often have increased swelling in their legs and put them at greater risk for venous leg ulcers. These patients should also wear compression garments to help prevent the fluid from pooling in the legs.
  • Pressure on body tissue over a period of time –
    These sores are most likely to occur on the tail bone, sacral bone or heels. The doctors at American Foot and Leg Specialists encourage patients, especially those who are elderly or diabetic to wear appropriate foot wear in order to alleviate any pressure on the heels.
  • Skin Cancer –
    While skin cancer mostly appears on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun, doctors at American Foot and leg Specialists are finding more and more cases of skin cancer on the legs and feet. They have been trained to spot different types of skin cancer including a wound that won’t heal. If they are even slightly suspicious that it may be caused from cancer, they will suggest having the area biopsied.
 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Wound Healing

When a wound doesn’t respond appropriately to anti-biotics, your physician at American Foot and leg Specialists may suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy. A number of studies have shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy does speed wound healing for man types of wounds such as soft tissue infections, burns, certain skin grafts and flaps, crush injuries and diabetes-related wounds.

Types of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

For some patients, they are given 100 percent oxygen to their lungs through a gas mask leaving the rest of your body at normal oxygen levels. Others may sit in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber where your entire body is immersed in 100 percent oxygen delivered at high pressure.
For others, it may be more practical and less expensive to receive “topical” hyperbaric oxygen therapy that can be applied to just one part of the body. If the wound is on your leg, for example, your leg could be wrapped in a plastic bag that is filled with 100 percent oxygen under pressure.

If you are experiencing any type of lingering wound on your leg or foot it is urgent that you seek medical advice from wound experts such as the physicians at American Foot and Leg Specialists. They will expertly analyze your unique situation and offer advice based on their many years of experience in treating wounds of the legs and feet. They have office south of Atlanta in Forest Park, Locust Grove, Fayetteville, and Stockbridge.