What Are Pressure Sores?
As advances in medicine and technology help people to live longer lives; they cannot make up the fact that they do not have as much mobility and muscles and energy levels are nowhere near as high as time moves on. Therefore one of the risks of this is that of pressure sores. These can be prevented if the right pressure relief products are used on those who are vulnerable to pressure sores.
Pressure sores (also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores) are injuries that are the result of an area of the skin being under a large amount of pressure and result in the skin and the tissue immediately underneath being damaged. They form when a large amount of pressure is applied to a particular area for a long time, or alternatively when less pressure is applied for a longer period of time.
This starves the area of oxygen and nutrients, causing breakdown of tissue and an ulcer to form. A pressure sore is most likely to affect someone who cannot move freely; so for instance someone who is bed ridden or lacks mobility.
Groups Who Would Benefit From Pressure Relief Products
Some of those who can be susceptible to pressure sores and would benefit from pressure relief include:
- Sufferers of Obesity – if a patient is struggling to move with their usual freedom, and spend long periods of time bed ridden, due to their weight, then they may require special bariatric pressure relief products, in order to deal with the additional strain on their body, as they are particularly at risk from bed sores and the complications that can follow this.
- The Elderly - as people age, they become less active and should their health deteriorate, then they may be spending more time either sat down or possibly even in bed. Because of this it is important to ensure pressure relief is used, so that bed sores and pressure sores are not a problem, and to therefore prevent further strain on care and medical professionals.
- Those Recovering From Serious Injury – for people who have been involved in a serious injury or have a debilitating condition, then they are likely to have to spend the majority of their time in a bed, and as such this is a situation where pressure relief is important, because at an already weakened state they will be susceptible to the effects of bedsores and other pressure related problems.
What Pressure Relief Products Are Available?
Pressure Relief Products are available in a range of forms, and are suited to different degrees of severity of condition. Some people may require less pressure relief than others, as they may have more mobility; or some ability to move around from bed to a chair and so on. Some products available include:
- Pressure Relief Mattresses – these are designed for those who are confined to their beds in order to prevent pressure sores forming which can over time lead to complications with serious repercussions such as blood poisoning. Active pressure relief means that pressure is handled effectively and as well as easing pain it puts the patient in a more comfortable situation.
- Pressure Relief Cushions – if a patient is spending a lot of the time sat down, but they are not bed ridden then pressure relief cushions can help reduce the risk of any complications or any problems that may arise from excessive pressure
- Pressure relief accessories – for those who have their mobility but can still be a little frail there are a range of options available such as elbow cushions; medical fleeces and HIPs protectors which relieve pressure and also aim to minimise damage from falls.
The Importance Of Pressure Relief
Pressure relief is an important aspect to take into consideration when caring for patients, as it can help a patient’s experience of the situation, and if you manage to prevent any pressure related complications, then it means that there is less chance of long term complication and less strain on the care and medical services in the long term.