Many people suffer from injuries that result in wounds in Fort Worth. A wound occurs when there is a breach of the skin. The skin can get a breach due to injury that occurs after accidents, sunburns, temperature extremes, friction, and pressure from objects that come into contact with the skin. The wounds can either be open or closed. Open wounds communicate with the external environment.

Closed wounds occur without exposure to the internal tissues on the outside. According to Dr. Ashley Huddleston in Fort Worth, wounds take varying durations of time to heal. Wounds that take less than a few weeks to heal are acute wounds, while chronic wounds refer to wounds that take a long duration to recover. Some factors determine how fast a wound takes to heal. This article highlights the factors that affect wound healing.

1.     Age

Age plays a significant role in determining the condition of the structure of your skin and how your skin functions. As you age, most processes in your system slow down. This means that it takes longer for wounds to heal as you get older. Aging makes your skin become thinner and more prone to injuries. The response that your body produces after injury also decreases, thus healing becomes slower.

2.     Diet

Your nutritional status also determines the duration of wound healing. The nutrients in our diet, like vitamins and minerals like zinc, are necessary during recovery. These nutrients also help in the repair of the skin after injury. Therefore, it is essential to take a diet with all the vital nutrients to reduce the duration of wound healing. Eating an unhealthy diet like junk food increases the risk of obesity that in turn complicates wound healing.

3.     Chronic Conditions

The amount of time it takes for wounds to heal also depends on your general health status. Having chronic conditions can complicate the process of wound healing. For instance, diabetes may affect the blood and oxygen supply to the area with the wound, resulting in poor wound healing. Cardiovascular diseases can also prolong the duration of wound healing.

4.     Medications

It can take a longer duration for your wound to heal if you are using some medications. For instance, immunosuppressants like steroids affect the immune response that your body mounts after infection, which can prolong wound healing. If you are taking anticoagulants, your blood takes longer to clot, affecting the rate of wound healing. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications also delay wound healing by prolonging the inflammatory stage of wound healing.

5.     Skin Moisture

For proper healing of wounds, it is essential to maintain the optimum skin moisture that you need. If you have dry skin, you may be more prone to infections and skin thickening, and these are some factors that can delay wound healing. However, if your skin is too moist, it can develop maceration and infections, thus reducing wound healing.

In summary, there are open and closed wounds that can either be acute or chronic. Acute wounds heal within a few weeks, while chronic wounds take a long duration to recover. Some factors determine the period it takes for the wounds to heal. Faster wound healing occurs in younger skin when you are in good nutritional status and not obese. Having chronic conditions like diabetes and heart diseases delays wound healing. Some medications like steroids and anticoagulants can also delay wound healing.