Your body is made to recover from injury, capable of repairing most minor wounds on its own, with your help. If you notice a cut or scrape, you wash it carefully with soap and water to remove debris and bacteria. Perhaps you apply an antibiotic or antiseptic. And maybe you then apply a light bandage.
Meantime, your body’s sent its warriors to the wound site. Blood comes through with plenty of white blood cells to kill off pathogens and whisk away debris.
The blood also contains platelets that coagulate, forming a clot to stop the bleeding and protect the wound. Then growth factors and proteins build new blood vessels and repair your skin with fresh collagen and elastin.
If you have a wound that doesn’t heal, your body needs help. Jon-Cecil Walkes, MD, an expert in wound care, gives your body the assistance it needs to heal ulcers and other wounds. At our offices in the Greater Houston metro and Pearland areas, he and our team provide wound care for diabetes and other issues.
Does your non-healing wound need expert care? Here’s when to see Dr. Walkes.
When all systems work properly, your body heals most wounds within 4-6 weeks. The bleeding should have long before then. You should not have pus or anything else oozing from the wound.
You should start to see signs of permanent healing, such as the scab falling off to reveal fresh, tender skin. Your wound should start to remodel itself with new collagen by about week 3. You might notice that your skin looks tighter as the wound heals.
But if you injured yourself more than a month ago, and your wound still won’t heal, you need the care of an expert. Even if it seems like a small thing — just a scratch or small puncture — don’t let non-healing wounds go unattended. They can become infected and even endanger your life.
No matter where you are in the healing timeline, if your wound has the telltale marks of infection, seek Dr. Walkes’ care. Alert us if you notice:
An infected wound can develop into gangrene, which could threaten your limb or your life. Even if you can’t feel your wound, that doesn’t mean it’s minor. If you have peripheral neuropathy — a common condition in diabetes — you may not be able to feel pain in your legs or feet.
Both venous disease and diabetes raise your risk for nonhealing wounds and gangrene. Wound healing depends on healthy blood circulation, which in turn depends on healthy blood vessels.
Venous disease by its nature means that your blood vessels are damaged and dysfunctional. You may have twisted, tortuous varicose veins that prevent your blood from flowing freely to your feet and legs.
If you have diabetes, you may have developed plaques in your arteries after your high blood sugar damaged your arterial walls. When your arteries and other blood vessels are narrowed due to underlying disease, your body doesn’t have the resources to heal wounds on its own.
Dr. Walkes gives your body the support it needs to clean and begin to heal your persistent wounds and ulcers. Treatment may have several phases and address many of the factors — including lifestyle — that contribute to non-healing wounds:
Dr. Walkes may employ one or more of these:
We also show you how to change your bandages between visits to keep your wound protected while it heals.
If your wound doesn’t seem to be healing, or it’s showing signs of infection, contact Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group today for wound care. Call our nearest office or book an appointment online. Our Houston, Texas, offices serve Greater Heights, Pearland Market, League City, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Rosharen, Alvin, Fresno, Missouri City, Arcola, Friendswood, South Houston, Kingwood Market, Humble, New Chaney, Atasciacita, and Northeast Houston.
