SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — Seniors, and those who take care of them, are all too familiar with the frequency of wounds, especially chronic wounds.

It’s common for seniors to get wounds, which arise from a wide variety of causes. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that chronic diseases that compromise skin integrity are becoming increasingly common among the country’s rapidly growing aging population. The more seniors, and their caretakers, know about wound care, the better they will be able to address the situation as it arises.

“Most seniors are going to experience some type of wounds,” said Dr. Oleg Siniaguine, inventor and founder of OSNovative Systems, Inc., the company that has created the first wound dressing of a new self-adaptive class called, Enluxtra. “But the good news is that when you know about wounds you will be better prepared to help people care for them and to be able to heal properly.”

Here are 5 things for seniors and their caretakers to know about wound care:

Wounds are prolific. Seniors tend to get a lot of wounds. The NIH reports that certain diseases such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease makes it easier to obtain wounds. As little as a small scratch could lead to development of a chronic non-healing wound and often lead to amputations. Pressure ulcers, caused by unrelieved pressure, are common among bed bound or paraplegic seniors. Wounds are a life threatening condition for seniors.

Healing takes stages. The healing process of the typical wound undergoes four main stages, which include coagulation, inflammation, proliferation and maturation. However in the presence of certain diseases, or in advanced age, most wounds tend to stall when they reach the inflammation stage, making it difficult to continue on through the healing process.

Infection must be prevented. One of the major problems that can arise when treating a wound is infection. There must be steps taken in order to prevent infection development and excessive bacteria growth for proper healing to take place.

Surgical debridement increases tissue loss. Wounds often need surgical debridement, or dead or damaged tissue to be removed surgically – a painful and invasive process. This process may also lead to an overall tissue loss. The less surgical debridement that is needed, the better off the person will be.

Moisture balance is crucial. One of the most important requirements for having a successful healing process is creating an optimal moisture balance. A moist wound environment helps the healing process, according to the NIH, but it must be balanced, because excessive moisture can damage (macerate) surrounding skin and further deteriorate the wound. Enluxtra wound care dressing is a new product that has been designed to work with any wound and make proper wound care as easy as possible, taking care of changing wound needs automatically. The dressing does not need any customization at all except of choosing a right size.

It is a self-adapting solution, which means that it can sense the changing needs of the wound and properly address them. For example, if the wound becomes too moist, or too dry, it reacts accordingly and adapts its function to what is needed for proper healing.

The dressing also prevents bacterial growth and serves as a barrier for keeping infection out of the wound, while still being breathable.

In addition to not needing any customization, Enluxtra also helps to eliminate odors and reduce pain. It also helps to eliminate slough from the wound, as well as reduce the need for sharp debridement.

Enluxtra wound dressing is covered by Medicare and Medicaid, cleared by the FDA, can be used for up to 10 days (depending on drainage level), is simple to apply, does not stick to a wound and is easy to remove.

About Enluxtra

Created by Dr. Oleg Siniaguine, a researcher and inventor with over 100 patents, Enluxtra is a highly effective wound dressing that helps heal a wide variety of wounds. It is produced by OSNovative Systems, Inc., a privately held company that specializes in products used in advanced care management, combat/emergency medicine, and cosmetic skin care. For more information on Enluxtra, visit the website at: www.AnyWound.com.