Causes Of Pain

Normally, pain occurs as the direct result of tissue damage. This type of pain usually wears off relatively quickly.

When a wound is slow to heal, pain can present different problems:

• The prolonged inflammation can make both the wound itself and the surrounding skin extra sensitive, so that even the slightest touch is painful.

Dressing changes can also sometimes cause damage to the wound or surrounding skin.

• If dressing has stuck to the wound, even if it is soaked before removal, newly formed cells in the wound bed or delicate new skin are liable to be stripped off.
• If the wound has been allowed to get too wet, the waterlogged skin is much softer, more easily damaged by adhesive dressings and more prone to infection.