How nutrition is essential to healing wounds
Healthcare Providers have always been faced with the dilemma of wound healing and how nutrition plays a role in treating the wound,
Dr. James A. Marks, Medical Director of Washington Health System Wound and Skin Healing Center, states that WHS’ wound care specialists’ philosophy for the wounded patient is ‘treat the patient as a whole, not just the hole in the patient.’
“Our primary goal in wound management is to heal the wound in the shortest time possible, with minimal pain, discomfort, and disability to the injured patient,” says Dr. Marks. “Nutritional support is a fundamental part of wound management.”
Science tells us that good nutrition is absolutely necessary for healing. Our bodies need increased amounts of calories, protein, vitamins, and various minerals during the healing process. The undernourished, malnourished or obese individual heals less efficiently and is at greater risk for complications. Even in today’s society where we are fortunate to have access to a variety of nutritional foods, older people often suffer from malnutrition. It has been estimated that up to 60% of older patients in hospitals are malnourished, or at risk of malnutrition.
Other at risk populations may include diabetics, dialysis patients, those with pressure wounds, smokers, and those dependent on alcohol and illicit drugs.
Neglecting the nutritional health of an individual with a wound compromises the entire wound management process. The patient’s diet plays a critical role in how fast the wound heals, how strong the wound tissue becomes, and the duration of the recovery period and how well the body fights off infection.
Protein is the most important aspect of your diet when healing from a wound, and is essential for the maintenance and repair of body tissue.
Energy (calories from carbohydrates and fats are for collagen production), essential and non-essential amino acids, antioxidants and minerals such as zinc are also important. Supplements that include vitamin A and vitamin C may well benefit the patient until healing is complete.
Dr. Marks also emphasize the importance of hydration for wound healing. Drink plenty of water throughout the healing process.
The overall goal for the healthcare team is to make sure the patient is in the optimum nutritional state to give wounds the best chance to heal.
A word of caution – nutrition for chronic wounds needs to be assessed on an individual basis. Follow your physician’s dietary advice, especially if it is a prescribed diet.
Diabetic patients will have additional considerations when creating a nutritional plan. Your dietary and supplementation needs will be customized on an individual basis, and your doctor or nutritionist/dietician may adjust the levels of each nutrient to facilitate healing.
For more information about healing wounds and other treatments for chronic wound care, contact the Washington Health System Wound and Skin Healing Center at (724) 223-6903 or visit www.whs.org.
For appointments at one of their convenient locations for complex or simple foot and ankle conditions, contact WHS/Foot & Ankle Specialists at 724-222-5635 or visit www.whsdocs.org. New Patients are welcome.