Why Older Adults Face Greater Risks From Non-Healing Wounds

A small cut or foot sore that seems manageable at first. But for older folks, changes in circulation, immune function, skin structure, and the body's ability to rebuild damaged tissue can make wound healing more complicated.

Research finds that nearly 85% of people with chronic wounds are older than 65, which makes age an important factor to consider when searching for the right wound care treatment. This is particularly important when diabetes, vascular disease, kidney disease, limited mobility, or other conditions that can interfere with healing are also present.

For patients looking for the best hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Sandy Springs, the key question isn't simply whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help. It is whether the wound has a problem that this treatment can address and whether HBOT belongs in a broader treatment plan.

Why Do Wounds Heal More Slowly as We Age?

Older adults face greater risks from non-healing wounds because aging can reduce blood flow to tissues, weaken the skin barrier, alter immune responses, and slow the cellular processes needed to rebuild damaged tissue. When this happens, comprehensive wound care with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which can increase tissue oxygen, can improve the healing environment. 

What Age-Related Problems Make a Wound More Difficult to Heal?

Several factors can overlap when dealing with wounds struggling to heal, including diabetic foot ulcers, radiation-damaged tissue, soft tissue injuries, bone infections, gangrene, or surgical sites. The most common issues include: 

• Reduced sensation in the feet or other areas of the body, which allows wounds to progress for weeks or months without being noticed
• Medications and other medical conditions that can slow healing 

How to Know When Specialized Wound Care is Necessary

A wound deserves the attention of a comprehensive wound care specialist when it is not following a normal healing trajectory. Signs and symptoms of a non-healing wound include wounds that: 

• Aren’t improving after basic wound care
• Continue to drain or develop an unpleasant odor
• Become increasingly red, swollen, warm, or painful
• Develop black, gray, or significantly discolored tissue
• Produce pus or other concerning drainage
• You develop a fever or start feeling unwell
• Occur on the foot of someone with diabetes
• Develop over an area exposed to prolonged pressure
• Keep reopening after appearing to heal
• Occur in someone with known peripheral artery disease or poor circulation

A common misconception about wounds is that if it doesn’t hurt, it must be healing. This is not necessarily the case. This is especially true in older adults with reduced sensation from diabetes, nerve disease, or other conditions. This is when a wound can worsen without producing much pain.

What Does Comprehensive Wound Care Include?

Effective wound care begins with finding out why the wound is not healing. Wound care specialists answer this by evaluating the stage of the wound and the factors that contribute to non-healing. These can include circulation, infection risk, pressure, blood glucose control, nutrition, mobility, medications, and other medical conditions.

Once the wound is fully understood, treatment for chronic wounds in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia can include:

• Wound cleansing and appropriate dressings
• Removal of unhealthy or dead tissue when necessary
• Infection management
• Pressure relief and offloading
• Compression therapy for appropriate venous wounds
• Evaluation of arterial blood flow
• Diabetes management
• Nutrition support
• Treatment of underlying medical conditions
• Surgical or vascular consultation when indicated
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy 

When Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Help an Older Adult With a Chronic Wound?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, also known as HBOT, is useful when a wound has an appropriate medical indication and impaired tissue oxygenation is part of the healing problem. During HBOT treatments, you breathe medical-grade oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. The increased pressure allows more oxygen to dissolve into the bloodstream and reach tissues. Oxygen plays an important role in collagen formation, angiogenesis, and the body's ability to fight certain infections, making HBOT an evidence-based wound care treatment. 

Is it Possible to Get Comprehensive Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in One Place?

You can get expert wound care and physician-directed hyperbaric oxygen therapy at the same facility, which can make it easier to coordinate treatment around the specific factors affecting wound healing. People searching for the best wound care clinic in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia should look for a place that combines wound expertise with physician-directed hyperbaric medicine. 

Accreditation is another important factor to consider. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society accredits hyperbaric facilities that meet established standards for quality and patient care. This is important to ensure you receive the safest and most effective care. 

Where to Find the Best Wound Care Specialists in Sandy Springs

Wounds that linger, worsen, or repeatedly come back require expert treatment that combines expert wound care and physician-directed hyperbaric oxygen therapy whenever appropriate. Hyperbaric Physicians of Georgia has been accredited by UHMS with distinction since 2017 and reports a 100% safety record. Our practice has provided comprehensive wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy since 1993, with convenient locations in Sandy Springs, Marietta, and Cumming. 

At our state-of-the-art facilities, our physicians bring specialized training in wound care, hyperbaric medicine, emergency medicine, family medicine, and related fields to the evaluation and treatment of complex wounds. Our Medical Director in Sandy Springs, Daniel J. Beless, MD, FACCWS, FACEP, UHM/ABPM, is board-certified in emergency medicine and subspecialty board-certified in undersea and hyperbaric medicine. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists and has been part of Hyperbaric Physicians of Georgia since 1998. 

Across our team, physicians have extensive experience treating chronic wounds and hyperbaric conditions, including Dr. Joni Hodgson, DO, UHM/ABPM, who completed a fellowship in undersea and hyperbaric medicine and served as an associate program medical director for the Undersea & Hyperbarics Program at Brooke Army Medical Center. This depth of experience allows us to evaluate the factors affecting wound healing and determine when advanced therapies such as HBOT have a meaningful role in your treatment plan.

Ready to get personalized treatment from the best wound care specialists in Sandy Springs?