Some Amazing Benefits Of Using Mattress Overlay for Bed Sores

Bedsores or pressure ulcers can develop due to constant pressure put on the skin surface. It can have frightening consequences on the patients, as they grow painful

Bedsores are open wounds on the skin that often occur on the skin covering bony areas. The most common areas where bedsores can occur are:
1. Back
2. Buttocks
3. Hips
4. Ankles

Bedsores or pressure ulcers are common among bedridden individuals including:
1. Individuals with fragile skin
2. Individuals who aren’t able to move certain body parts without assistance
3. Individuals who spend longs hours in a wheelchair or bed
4. Individuals with decreased mobility
5. Elderly people

Bedsores are highly treatable, and the health professionals recommend the use of Mattress overlay for bedsores.

What Causes Bedsores?

The constant contact of the skin with the bed surface or any other surface can cause pressure ulcers. The primary contributing factors that can cause bedsores are:

1. Shear:

 

It is when two surfaces (your body and the mattress) move in opposite direction, especially when you are asleep.

2. Friction:

 

Friction occurs when your skin is dragged across the bed surface. Friction occurs when you continuously change positions or move frequently. Friction is the primary cause of bedsores as it exacerbates when the skin is moist (sweat).

3. Sustained Pressure:

 

When your skin and the tissues underlying experience persistent contact against a surface like a bed or a wheelchair, the skin cells are damaged, and they eventually die.
Hence, it is critically important that a mattress overlay is used to avoid pressure, friction, and shear.

 Symptoms of Bedsores

 

There are different stages of pressure ulcers and depending on the stage; the symptoms may vary:
Skin that is firmer or softer than the surrounding skin

1. Skin that is softer to touch
2. Open skin
3. Skin infection
4. Pain the affected areas
5. Skin discoloration

How to reduce the risk of developing bedsores?

 

There are several ways using which you can reduce the risk of developing bedsores in you or your loved one.

1. Mattress overlay for bedsores: mattress overlays like gel overlays can act as a barrier between the skin surface and the bed. Thus, it can ultimately help prevent bedsores.
2. Regular exercise: exercise is mandatory, even for individuals who can’t get out of bed. Simple range of motion like moving the hands stretching the neck and shoulders, etc. can help reduce bedsores.
3. Apart from using mattress overlays, you can also use pillows between the parts of the body that comes in contact with the bed surface. For example, between ankles and knees, if you are sleeping on your side, or under the elbows, heels, shoulders, or tailbone.
4. According to the health experts, changing the sleeping or resting position frequently help reduce the pressure on a particular part of the body. This can help reduce the risk of developing pressure ulcers or bedsores.

Mattress overlay for bedsores have some incredible benefits.

1. They act as a barrier between the body and the bed surface
2. They evenly distribute the weight of the user to relieve excess pressure.

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