Cracking the Home Remedy Myths of Wound Care: Super Sleuth Dr. Mike White Is on the Case

By Melanie Lux

 

Our grandmothers are treasure troves of wisdom. Mine taught me how to cook, sing, and work jigsaw puzzles.  As wise as our family matriarchs are, there are times when the wisdom they share with us isn’t true. This is particularly true for wound care. If you depend on your grandmother’s advice on how to care for wounds, you may actually prolong the healing process and potentially cause an acute wound to become chronic, inhibiting your ability to work and function normally. In this article, I discuss the five myths of wound care that you can use to take care of yourself and your family. (Sorry grandma!)

First, let me explain the difference between an acute wound and a chronic wound. From a medical standpoint, an acute or new wound will progress through specific healing stages and ultimately heal. A chronic wound is a wound that gets “stuck” in one of the stages of wound healing and can persist for weeks, months or even years. Chronic wounds generally take longer than six weeks to heal and may require seeing a medical specialist such as a wound care physician.

Now let’s take a look at the five home remedy myths of wound care…

 

Myth 1: Clean you wounds with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide so they will heal.

Rubbing (Isopropyl) alcohol and hydrogen peroxide have a role in cleaning an acute or fresh wound. However, they should not be used continuously as they can damage cells in the wound trying to heal the ulcer naturally. Some people think they have to “boil out the wound“ with hydrogen peroxide. This is also false. Research shows that  when hydrogen peroxide is used for an extended period of time, it actually slows healing. There is a role for rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, but it is limited to initial cleaning

 

Myth 2: If you have a deep cut, you should put bleach or bleach water on it.

This myth has some truthfulness to it. In the chronic wound care world, we use an antibacterial product called Dakin’s, which is a five percent bleach solution. One of the reasons Dakin’s is used is to help stop bacterial growth. Recent research has shown that bacteria on the surface of a chronic wound will form a biofilm. Biofilms are a group of bacteria growing on the surface of a chronic wound that creates a gelatinous covering over the ulcer. This gel protects the bacteria from topical antimicrobial medications used on the wound. These biofims have been shown to resist straight bleach many hours. Dakins solution can harm the skin’s healing cells when used inappropriately. So, unless your doctor tells you to use bleach, it is advisable not to use it.

 

Myth 3: You should let air get to your wounds.

Again, there is some truth to this myth, but it is certainly not a rule. For acute wounds that are progressing through the stages of healing as they should, the body will regulate the wound environment as needed.  The chronic wound is much different than the acute wound with respect to moisture. Medical evidence shows that a warm and moist wound-healing environment will heal ulcers much faster than one that is too cold, too wet or too dry. Some wound care products are designed to add or remove moisture. For the acute, slow-healing wound, it is recommended to keep the wound covered with a bandage and maintain a moist, not wet, healing environment.

 

Myth 4: You should put butter on a burn.

Burns are complex thermal injuries, yet people put all sorts of unsophisticated home remedies on burns such as butter and olive oil. I’ve got some advice for you: Don’t do it! The Centers for Disease Control specifically warns against butter as a burn remedy as it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Run-of-the-mill sunburn can usually be managed quite effectively at home with over-the-counter medications. Sunburns may cause pain, which can usually be managed with oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Topical treatments such as aloe may also provide a cooling sensation and ease the pain from sunburn. Additionally, over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream may also be used. For deeper burns, you should consult with your physician as prescription medications may be necessary.

 

Myth 5: If I have a wound on my feet, I should soak it in Epsom salts.

Wounds on the foot can be particularly problematic for the patient with diabetes and/or peripheral vascular disease (poor blood flow to the foot). Soaking the foot can lead to maceration or your foot being too moist. Imagine when you were small and you stayed in the bath so long that you fingers and toes looked wrinkled and white, this is maceration. Maceration can give bacteria and fungi an easy way to enter the skin and cause a serious infection. While there is usually nothing wrong with washing your wound with soap and water, don’t soak a foot wound unless specifically told to to so by a physician. If you have diabetes or problems with the blood flow to the foot, you should seek the care of wound care specialist as these ulcers can have disastrous consequences, including to amputation in severe cases.

 

Wounds can be minor such as a small cut or burn. They can also be very serious, such as a diabetic foot ulcer. And while grandmothers have our best interests at heart, it’s always best to use modern medical to heal wounds.

 

Dr. Mike White sees patients at the Newberry County Memorial Hospital Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center and has dedicated 12 years to helping people recover from slow-to-heal wounds.

 

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