Bedsores: Causes, Stages, and Prognosis
Bedsores annoy many elderly adult, and most of them encounter this condition at some point in their life. They are known for their irritating attributes, but bedsores can also cause pain. If they are left untreated, they can also cause serious health issues. So in order to keep your loved ones safe and sound, you need to learn what causes bed sores and what the stages of this condition are.
What Is a Bed Sore?
Bedsore can be described as a skin injury. Some people know them by the name pressure ulcers. In most cases, they appear when one part of the body is put under pressure for a prolonged period of time. The parts of the body that are most prone to getting bedsores are those with a bone structure such as the tailbone, heels, hips, and ankles.
The group of individuals that are most likely to have trouble with bedsores are those with limited mobility. This happens because they are not able to change the position of their body as often as they should. The people we are talking about are those who are tied to a bed due to illness or who use a wheelchair.
The worst part about bedsores is that they can develop rather quickly. Sometimes it only takes is a couple of days.
The Stages of Bedsores
Stage One
Usually, there are four stages of this condition. The first stages start with pain, as the patient who starts having bedsores will most likely feel it. The first stage won’t show any physical sign of bedsores, as you won’t notice tears or breaks on the skin. But soon after you start feeling pain, red bruises will begin to appear in the places where you are hurting. If you press the red spots with your finger, the skin won’t change colors, and this is also a symptom of this condition.
Stage Two
The next stage is where your skin will tear. You will start having ulcers, and the entire area will be painful. The second stage is where serious issues begin, as the pain goes deeper into your skin and is no longer only tied to the surface. In some cases, the spot will start to look like a blister, and it will be filled with fluid.
Stage Three
Stage three is when bedsores start to retreat under your skin. What’s left behind are open craters. Sometimes they get to be so thick that you can see fat. In most cases, they don’t create holes that are deep enough to reach muscle tissue or bones.
Stage Four
Stage four is the one that should give you reason for concern. It is the last stage, and as such, it is the one that causes the most trouble and is the most severe stage of this condition. At this point, you might not feel pain at all because the skin tissues will be damaged to the extent where your pain receptors won’t be working. In its most dangerous shape, bedsores can reach down to your muscle tissues, bones, and even to joints and tendons.
If left untreated, stage four can cause serious health complications such as sepsis or even infection in one’s bones. Stage four of bedsores is also called a terminal bedsore because of the high risk of infection.
Prognosis
Luckily there are treatments for the final stages of bedsores, but in some cases, the prognosis is rather grim. Most elderly who start suffering from this stage of bedsore can’t fight off the infection that follows it. Because of this, in some cases, bedsores can have fatal consequences.
But if handled in time, there is a way back from stage four of bedsores. The time to fully recover takes from three months to a few years. Because of this, bedsores need to be taken seriously.
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