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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Bedsores

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Bedsores

Bedsores, which usually afflict the bedridden and handicapped, are purplish skin ulcers that result when skin is squeezed against bony parts of the body such as heels or hips. In some cases, the damage extends deep into muscle and bone, causing extremely serious infection.

People who have bedsores--also called pressure ulcers--need to be under a doctor's care. And anyone who has diabetes must be especially alert for this condition. Bedsores are often treated with antibiotics, and some doctors also recommend a special diet that's high in vitamin C, protein and zinc. But here are some other treatments you might want to know about if you're caring for someone who may be developing bedsores or who already has them.

A Sweet Cure?

For extreme cases of bedsores, don't be surprised if your doctor reaches for the sugar jar instead of the medicine cabinet. Sugar has been found to help hard-to-heal areas such as bedsores by acting as a scavenger of sorts--picking up dead bacteria and white blood cells. This debris is later flushed away when the wound is cleansed with water.

Sugar also absorbs moisture from the wounds and creates an unfavorable environment for bacterial growth, says Alvin B. Segelman, Ph.D., former professor of pharmacognosy at Rutgers University College of Pharmacy in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and now vice president for research and development for Natures Sunshine Products, based in Utah. But never try using sugar on any wound yourself, unless you're under the care of a health professional.

Make "shifts" last no more than one hour. "Patients with bedsores need to be rotated, or shifted to a new position, constantly," says Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He suggests shifting the patient every 30 minutes to relieve pressure that can cause bedsores.

Try a new mattress. Air mattresses, like those used by campers, help reduce pressure under bony areas of the body that are often afflicted with pressure ulcers, according to a study by gerontology researchers at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Lying on a "cushion of air" offers less pressure than lying on a spring mattress.

Keep skin moist. Running a humidifier or regularly applying moisturizers to bedridden people can prevent skin dryness and irritation and make skin more resistant to bedsores and other infections.

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