Wound healing is the natural process of repairing damaged tissue, involving blood vessel tightening, clot formation, infection prevention, and tissue rebuilding. Serious injuries may require medical attention.
Wound healing refers to the natural process undertaken by the body to repair damaged tissue. This may include healing scratches, puncture wounds, or wounds inflicted by another organism, such as with a spider bite. Most minor injuries can be effectively healed by the body itself, but some more serious injuries may require the help of stitches or another preventative measure.
The healing process is complex, even if it is not possible to see what is happening from the outside. When an injury first occurs, the body begins to tighten blood vessels around the injury. This helps restrict blood flow so that excessive bleeding does not occur. With most small wounds this isn’t a problem, but large wounds can still bleed because the body can’t narrow the vessels fast enough to prevent blood loss. Additional emergency procedures may be needed, such as tying a cloth around the area to cut off blood flow to the area.
Once blood flow is slowed, platelets form around the wound opening and bind together to form a clot. Other substances join the clot to prevent it from moving or falling apart. This covers the wound to prevent further bleeding and to prevent foreign objects from entering the wound.
The next step in wound healing is to help prevent wound infection. In humans, an antibacterial solution may be added to aid in this process, but the body also has natural mechanisms to help prevent infection. As the wound is now crusted and closed, the blood vessels reopen to allow more red and white blood cells to enter the area. The white blood cells then work to find and kill any bacteria that may have entered the wound.
Finally, wound healing involves rebuilding tissue and skin. The skin on each side of the wound under the scab eventually stretches outward to meet in the center of the wound. This sometimes results in a visible scar, depending on the severity of the injury. The tissue covering the wound gets stronger over time, and eventually the scab tissue will fall off or reabsorb into the body.
Some cases may require additional help for wound healing. Very serious injuries, such as a stab wound that goes deep into the body, may require medical attention to prevent infection, close the wound, and prevent bleeding. In addition to the body’s natural healing process, you may need to be given antibiotics, stitches, and blood-clotting medications.
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