How can we restore the healing process?

 

The following are ways in which one can restore the healing process.

1.Getting rest.

According to recent studies published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, having more sleep will help heal wounds faster. The researchers analyzed groups of participants who slept at night for just three hours versus those who usually slept during the duration of the study. They found that sleep restriction resulted in higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and, relative to those who slept for a longer period, it delayed healing time by almost a full day. Such findings point to a safe sleeping schedule for those looking to recover quickly.

2.Staying active.

Keep performing a daily workout regimen if necessary. The increased blood flow to the wound will speed up the healing process, even if you have to engage in less vigorous workouts or return to simply walking around the neighborhood after dinner. You should always ask your doctor for the right physical activity suggestions for your unique injury.

3.Eat your vegetables.

Foods rich in nutrients and vitamins are especially important, including the vitamin A, copper and zinc found in many fruits and vegetables. According to Healthline, dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach and Swiss chard, ginger, mushrooms, beets and yogurt are power foods that can help speed up the healing timeline.

4.Don't smoke.

Cigarettes are likely to impede the healing process, especially as smoking can increase the risk of complications, such as infections.

The following are the stages of the healing process.

1.Hemostasis Phase

Hemostasis is the clotting mechanism of the wound being closed. When blood spills out of the body, hemostasis begins. The first stage of haemostasis is when the blood vessels are constricted to limit the flow of blood. Next in order to seal the break in the blood vessel wall, platelets bind together. Coagulation gradually occurs and reinforces the platelet plug with fibrin threads that are like a molecular binding agent. The hemostasis process of wound healing occurs very rapidly. Within seconds of rupturing the epithelial wall of a blood vessel, the platelets adhere to the sub-endothelium surface. After that in about sixty seconds, the first fibrin strands start adhering. The blood is converted from liquid to gel by pro-coagulants and the release of prothrombin as the fibrin mesh begins. In the wound area, the development of a thrombus or clot holds the platelets and blood cells trapped. The thrombus is generally important in the stages of wound healing but becomes a problem if it detaches from the vessel wall and goes through the circulatory system, possibly causing a stroke, pulmonary embolism or heart attack.

2.Inflammatory Phase

Inflammation is the second stage of wound healing which occurs shortly after the injury when leakage of the wounded blood vessels (made of water, salt, and protein) triggers localized swelling. Inflammation both manages bleeding and stops infection. The engorgement of the fluid helps the healing and repair cells to transfer to the wound site. Damaged cells, parasites, and bacteria are eliminated from the wound area during the inflammatory process. The swelling, heat, pain and redness commonly seen during this stage of wound healing are produced by these white blood cells, growth factors, nutrients and enzymes. Inflammation is a common part of the process of wound healing and is only troublesome if it is prolonged or excessive.

3.Proliferative Phase

The proliferative process of wound healing is when fresh tissue made up of collagen and extracellular matrix rebuilds the wound. The wound contracts in the proliferative process as new tissues are constructed. Furthermore, it is important to create a new network of blood vessels so that the granulation tissue can be healthy and obtain adequate oxygen and nutrients. By grasping the wound edges and drawing them together using a mechanism similar to that of smooth muscle cells, myofibroblasts cause the injury to contract. Granulation tissue is pink or red and irregular in texture in healthy stages of wound healing. In addition, healthy tissue from the granulation does not bleed easily. A symptom of infection, ischemia, or weak perfusion may be dark granulation tissue. Epithelial cells resurface the injury in the final step of the proliferative stage of wound healing.

4.Maturation Phase

The maturation process is also called the remodeling stage of wound healing, when collagen is remodeled from type III to type I and the wound closes completely. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, eliminates the cells that were used to heal the wound but which are no longer required. It is disorganized as collagen is laid down during the proliferative process, and the wound is dense. Collagen is positioned along tension lines during the maturation process and water is reabsorbed to enable the collagen fibers to lie closer together and cross-link. Cross-linking of collagen decreases the thickness of the scar and also makes the wound's skin region stronger. Remodeling usually starts around 21 days after an accident and can continue for a year or more. Healed wound areas appear to be poorer than uninjured skin even with cross-linking, normally only possessing 80 percent of the tensile strength of unwounded skin.

The wound healing stages are a dynamic and fragile process.  Failure to progress in the stages of wound healing can lead to chronic wounds. Factors that lead up to chronic wounds are venous disease, infection, diabetes and metabolic deficiencies of the elderly. Careful wound care can speed up the stages of wound healing by keeping wounds moist, clean and protected from reinjury and infection.