Diagnostics
For the recognition of an inflamed wound, the eye diagnosis is usually sufficient, since the crust formation is often limited and the wounds are overheated and strongly reddened. However, there are also wounds that show much deeper inflammation. This can happen, for example, when germs can penetrate deep under the skin due to an actually small, narrow stab wound.
This can lead to abscesses under the skin. These can be seen either with an ultrasound image or a computer tomography (CT). Especially the CT is only used when large, deep-seated abscesses are suspected, since the CT examination involves a considerable exposure to X-rays.
The blood count shows the typical changes of an inflammation, such as an increased blood sedimentation rate (BSG) and an elevated GPT (liver enzyme) and LDH. The two parameters GPT and LDH provide non-specific information about cell decay in the body and are elevated in almost every inflammation. In most cases of a superficially inflamed wound, however, the gaze diagnosis mentioned at the beginning is sufficient.
The blood count shows the typical changes of an inflammation, such as an increased blood sedimentation rate (BSG) and an elevated GPT (liver enzyme) and LDH. The two parameters GPT and LDH provide non-specific information about cell decay in the body and are elevated in almost every inflammation. In most cases of a superficially inflamed wound, however, the gaze diagnosis mentioned at the beginning is sufficient.
Treatment
To treat an inflamed wound, cleaning is important first. For this purpose, an alcohol-free disinfectant such as OctaniDerm® should be used. Although disinfectants containing alcohol clean the wound just as well, they are very unpleasant because they burn strongly in the wound.
When cleaning the wound, care should be taken to ensure that already formed scabs are not roughly removed, as otherwise the wound surface that has already healed can be torn open again. It is important to ensure the sterility of the selected dressing when further treating inflamed wounds. It is imperative to prevent the padded surface of the plaster from coming into contact with contaminated material or with the hands.
In addition, care should be taken when applying the plaster to ensure that the adhesive surfaces do not stick to the wound but to the surrounding skin. The dressing should also be changed regularly. When selecting the dressing material, care should be taken to ensure that they are not completely airtight.
During the performance of personal hygiene measures, such as showering, it should be avoided that the freshly formed incrustation of the wound softens and, if necessary, detaches. Inflamed wounds cause some discomfort such as pain, swelling, unpleasant odors or even fever. In the worst case, wound necrosis – the death of the tissue – or even life-threatening blood poisoning may occur.
Therefore, a wound, for example after an operation or injury, should always be seen by a doctor. The progress of wound healing should also be monitored at regular intervals in order to be able to treat inflammation and wound healing disorders in time. Ointments are also used to treat inflamed wounds.
They may contain antibiotic additives that treat a bacterial infestation of the wound. They also contain disinfectant additives which also combat germs and are intended to keep the wound as sterile as possible. The risk of infection with germs is particularly high in open wounds.
Anti-inflammatory additives are also contained in many wound ointments. However, if the inflammation is pronounced, professional wound care is essential, so that one should not try to treat the inflammation with ointments from the pharmacy itself. Small wounds that occur in everyday life can be treated with ointments from the pharmacy.
However, you should consult a doctor if there are signs of inflammation.In case of inflamed wounds, one should refrain from using household remedies. What has a beneficial effect on small wounds can already lead to a worsening of the condition of inflamed wounds. If you have injured or cut yourself, carefully clean the wound under running water.
If possible, do not touch the wound and avoid ointments or wound dressings. Especially in case of animal bites, do not manipulate the wound and consult a doctor immediately. For a good wound healing the best home remedy is to protect the wound.
Since inflamed wounds can cause serious complications, the use of homeopathic remedies is not recommended. There are also no uniform recommendations from the suppliers of homeopathic products for the use of their products on inflamed wounds. Therefore, no recommendations can be made at this point.
The healing process of an inflamed wound can be delayed by the use of homeopathic remedies. Complications such as infections or blood poisoning cannot be prevented either. The consequences of an inflamed wound can range from a small scar to major restrictions in movement.
If the wound is inflamed for a longer period of time, the tissue may subsequently be severely scarred. Initially, the scars are strongly reddened, but as the infection progresses the color intensity decreases and the scars become less and less noticeable. However, if an inflamed wound is not treated, it can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis), which is life-threatening.
In some cases, depending on the location of the inflamed wound, it can also lead to stiffening of the joints and, as a consequence, to restricted movement. In very rare cases, amputations of limbs may also occur in the context of an infected wound and a strong bacterial colonization. This can happen especially if the affected person has a very weak immune system in combination with a very aggressive germ and a very late initial treatment of the inflamed wound.
As a rule, even an inflamed wound heals well when properly treated. Complications only occur in the case of very complicated germs, a weak immune system and very late initial treatment.
