8 Best Home Remedies For Pressure Ulcers
What Are Pressure Ulcers?
Pressure ulcers, more commonly known as bedsores, are relatively common in the elderly and people who cannot easily move around. If you have a relative in a nursing home with many bedsores, then they may be being neglected, and you should talk to someone about it right away.
If you have someone in your home, or who you know well, who has bedsores, then here are some simple home remedies that you can use to cure pressure ulcers and prevent them from coming back.
8 Best Home Remedies For Pressure Ulcers
#1. Hygiene
Hygiene is highly important when it comes to preventing and treating pressure ulcers. Make sure that you bathe at least once every other day with warm soapy water to keep away bacteria. If you already have a pressure ulcer, try to wash them with soap and water twice a day.
#2. Honey & Sugar
Honey and sugar mixed together is an excellent natural home remedy that can help to cure pressure ulcers. The honey can help to moisturize and repair the skin, while the sugar can help to get rid of dead skin cells, which exfoliates the skin as well. Mix a two tablespoons of honey with one tablespoon of sugar. You can rub this gently on your pressure ulcers to remove dead skin and moisturize it at the same time. You can do this once a day.
#3. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is another home remedy that can also help to cure pressure ulcers. You can put a little of petroleum jelly on your pressure ulcers and then cover it with a bandage so that it does not get messy. Replace the bandage once or twice a day until the pressure ulcer is gone.
#4. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel is one of the best natural remedies at curing all sorts of skin injuries, including pressure ulcers. You can use this exactly like petroleum jelly. Aloe vera smells better and has more healing properties than petroleum jelly, but you will have to use it more often. Apply a little aloe vera gel every few hours to get the best results. If you are putting some on before bed, put a bandage over it.
#5. Massage
Gently massaging the pressure ulcers can alleviate some of the pain. Don’t put too much pressure on the ulcers, as this will cause whoever has them to be in pain. Massaging the area for about five minutes at a time should be able to help, at least temporarily until you can get the supplies for another home remedy.
#6. Baby Powder
Using baby powder on your pressure ulcers can help to keep the area dry. This can help to prevent more damage to be done to the pressure ulcers. Put a little bit of this powder on and around your pressure ulcer. If you have to, you can rub this gently on the ulcer as well. This should keep your clothing from rubbing too roughly against the pressure ulcer.
#7. Open Sores
If you have an open pressure ulcer, do not try to treat it at home. Open sores can be very easily infected. Simply clean out the area with soap and water, wrap it up in a bandage, and see a doctor to be properly treated. A doctor can likely give you medication to reduce the pain of the pressure ulcer as well.
#8. Positions and Comfort
The way that you sit, how long you sit, and what you sit on can all affect whether or not you get pressure ulcers. If you are bedridden, you should try to have a comfortable place to lay. Inflatable pillows or a mattress could help this. Also, when you have to lie down for hours, you should make sure that you change your sleeping position at least once every hour. This can prevent pressure ulcers from forming.
Hopefully, these natural home remedies can help with your pressure ulcers.
