|
introduction and phases
of wound healing
personal factors that
affect wound healing - nutrition, fluids, smoking
personal factors that
affect wound healing - diabetes, movement, steroids,
alcohol, stress, sun exposure, other factors
surgical and post operative
factors that affect wound healing
healing supplements
- arnica
healing supplements - bromelain, vitamin K cream
scar formation and treatment
hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Bromelain
Bromelain is a protein enzyme derived from the stems
of the pineapple plant. Its main application is reducing
inflammation and swelling after an injury, but Bromelain
has also been used to clean wounds, minimize chest pain,
treat cancer, and relieve indigestion. As an anti-inflammatory,
it seems to work primarily by preventing the formation
of compounds that lead to inflammation.
For best results, Bromelain should be taken on an empty
stomach at a dose of 500 mdu or gdu (measured as milk-clotting
or gelatin-digesting units, not milligrams) 3 times
a day for two weeks before surgery, and one week after.To
be effective for surgery, supplementation must begin
at least 72 hours before the operation.
Bromelain has been known to increase
blood levels of antibiotics, and should not be taken
by anyone allergic to pineapple, bee stings, or olive
tree pollen. Do not take any medication or supplementation
without your doctor's knowledge and consent.
Vitamin K Cream
Vitamin K cream applied twice daily can help minimize
bruising, as well as spider veins, rosacea-caused redness,
and dark circles under the eyes. (If used under the
eyes, it works best when combined with a skin lightening
cream such as kojic acid or hydroquinone).
For bruising, improvement may be seen after one week;
however spider veins and rosacea may take several months
for noticeable improvement. The most dramatic effects
of Vitamin K cream are in treating bruises in elderly
people whose thin skin bleeds easily.
The most common preparation is a 2% cream formula sold
under the name "K-Derm". Talk to your doctor
before applying anything to your skin after surgery.
To Next Section - Scar
Formation and Treatment
|
