Bedsores — also called pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers — are built up damages to the skin and underlying tissue resulting from sustained pressure. Bedsores most often develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the heels, ankles, hips and tailbone. Other areas include back of head, shoulders, thighs and buttocks. Prolonged pressure on these areas leads to poor blood circulation, followed by cell death, skin breakdown, and the development of an open wound – bedsores / pressure ulcer.
The first signs of developing bedsores are commonly redness and irritation of the skin. People most at risk of developing bedsores are those with a medical condition that limits their ability to change positions, for example, a paraplegia, quadriplegia, bedridden or comatose patients, weak elders who prefer to lie in bed and injured individuals who are confined to a wheelchair.
In layman’s terms, when a person stays in a certain position for a long period of time without shifting their weight, pressure sets on the soft tissues and blood flow becomes partially or in severe cases, completely blocked causing the area to deteriorate and becomes an open wound (bedsore). But with the right treatment and care, bedsores can be prevented or treated before it worsens.