Cuts, blows, or other forms of physical trauma are common causes of wounds, which leave the body’s internal tissues exposed to the external environment. Most small wounds heal naturally given the time, and minor wounds can easily be treated at home. Lifestyle changes and at-home remedies are usually sufficient. Other wounds may need more serious treatment. There are a number of methods that can promote wound healing 1. Fast and thorough wound healing is important for everyday life, trauma care, and post-surgery care.
When it comes to minor injuries, simple methods that can promote wound healing include proper hydration and nutrition, getting rest, doing controlled exercise, and avoiding smoking. Wound drainage can be a big source of fluid loss. It is critical to drink plentiful water in order to promote the body’s natural healing processes. This should be in parallel to minimizing alcohol consumption, which can not only dehydrate the body, but also compromise the liver’s capacity to detoxify the body and ward off infection 2.
Healthy food choices can boost recovery providing the calories, minerals, vitamins and protein necessary to promote wound healing. Planning healthy, balanced meals and snacks that include the right amount of foods from all food groups, including proteins, fruits, vegetables, and grains, is key to this end. For people with diabetes, it is also very important to tightly control blood sugar levels when recovering from a wound 3.
Getting plentiful sleep can help wounds heal swiftly since sleep restriction can increase levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and delay healing 4.
On the flip side, exercising can also promote wound healing. Depending on the injury, an exercise routine may need to be more or less intense. It is important to keep exercising in some capacity, however, since the increased blood flow produced by exercise accelerates healing 4.
Smoking should be avoided to boost recovery. Cigarettes can delay the healing process by tightening blood vessels and preventing nutrients from reaching the wound, which can increase the risk of complications 4.
A number of at-home methods can help promote wound healing and can complement the above lifestyle changes. First, an individual can treat a wound with several over-the-counter antibacterial ointments in order to prevent infections and help a wound heal more quickly. Second, an individual can topically apply certain natural elements, depending on the type of injury. Aloe vera, a type of cactus, contains glucomannan, a substance that helps cellular regeneration and causes the body to produce collagen. Long used in traditional wound healing recipes, honey has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The spice turmeric contains curcumin, which has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic contains allicin, which has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, helping too with wound healing. Finally, coconut oil contains the substance monolaurin, a fatty acid with antimicrobial properties found in vegetable oils which also helps wounds heal. When considering homeopathic remedies, it is important to talk to your doctor about any potential contraindications or risks of the methods for your circumstances.
A person should seek medical support if they have a serious injury that involves broken bones or a significant amount of bleeding 1. For major injuries and many surgeries, professional medical help is required in order to ensure the safest, swiftest recovery possible. Wound care typically involves dressing the wound, regularly cleaning it, and monitoring it for infection. Stitches and/or a brace may be needed in some cases. However, developing new, innovative methods to promote wound healing is an active area of research.
A number of interventions aimed at promoting wound healing have recently been developed to this end. In particular, recent research has brought hope that electrical stimulation delivered in a controlled manner can be a viable pathway to accelerate wound repair. Importantly, this research has provided a baseline for other researchers seeking the best electrode blueprint for in vivo direct current stimulation in the context of recovery 5. If clinical trial results are positive, patients may soon receive electrical stimulation as part of wound healing.
References
1. How to make a wound heal faster: 6 tips. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-make-a-wound-heal-faster#summary. (Accessed: 10th May 2023)
2. 3 Ways to Promote Open Wound Healing – DFW Wound Care Center. Available at: https://dfwwoundcarecenter.com/blog/3-ways-to-promote-open-wound-healing/. (Accessed: 10th May 2023)
3. Nutrition Tips to Promote Wound Healing. Available at: https://www.eatright.org/health/health-conditions/diabetes/nutrition-tips-to-promote-wound-healing. (Accessed: 10th May 2023)
4. How to Speed Up Wound Healing – R3 Wound Care & Hyperbarics. Available at: https://r3healing.com/how-to-speed-up-wound-healing/. (Accessed: 10th May 2023)
5. Shaner, S. et al. Bioelectronic microfluidic wound healing: a platform for investigating direct current stimulation of injured cell collectives. Lab Chip (2023). doi:10.1039/d2lc01045c
