Wounds aren’t sexy but they are a part of life.
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That is the message from Launceston General Hospital (LGH) nurse practitioner for wound management Clarissa Young, who is encouraging more people to be ‘wound aware’.
As part of Wound Awareness Week from October 16-20, healthcare professionals are encouraging people to look out for signs that a wound needs to be seen to.
Mrs Young said that there is a rising trend in people living with chronic diseases such as diabetes – something that can dramatically impact the severity of a minor wound.
“If a person has lost sensation in their foot, they might not even notice if a wound has developed or has become infected,” she said.
“They say wounds aren’t for life, but if people have significant wounds that aren’t healing we want them to get it checked.”
Mrs Young said that men in particular are often reluctant to seek help.
Gregory Gillies, who is living with type 1 diabetes, has spent the last week in LGH after a small toe injury quickly became serious.
“It started as a split in my toe and then spread to my heart,” he said.
“If I didn’t have it looked at I could have lost my foot or worse, my life.
“If it hadn’t been for my wife insisting I get it checked, I might not have survived this.”
The key indicators for Wound Awareness Week are pain and heat, odour, excess fluid, slow healing and chronic disease and ageing.
Mrs Young said that anyone concerned with a wound should consult a healthcare professional immediatley.