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Skin

Bed Sores

Deep skin ulcers developing in bedridden, unconscious, or paralyzed individuals from prolonged pressure over bony prominences — preventable with position changes and protective care.

📝 Summary

In short: Deep skin ulcers developing in bedridden, unconscious, or paralyzed individuals from prolonged pressure over bony prominences — preventable with position changes and protective care.

Common causes: Prolonged bed rest with constant pressure on bony prominences; Restricted circulation causing tissue death; Nutritional deficiencies: vitamins A, B2, C, E, and zinc.

First thing to try: Apply sugar or honey poulticeMashed plant material applied right on the skin. How to make a poultice to the sore — draws out toxins and promotes healing

See a doctor if: For any stage 3 or 4 ulcer (deep tissue or bone involvement); if infection (foul odor, fever, spreading redness) develops.

🌿 Overview

Bed sores form when prolonged pressure over bony areas (heels, buttocks, hips, sacrum, shoulder blades, elbows) restricts circulation and causes underlying tissue death. The bedridden elderly, the unconscious, and paraplegics are most at risk. Those affected are typically deficient in vitamins A, B2, C, E, and zinc. Prevention is far easier than treatment.

Common signs

  • Deep skin ulcers on buttocks, hips, sacrum, shoulder blades, elbows, and heels
  • Begins as redness over pressure points
  • Progresses to open ulcers if circulation remains restricted
  • Often associated with high skin pH (too alkaline) and nutritional deficiencies

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

  • Prolonged bed rest with constant pressure on bony prominences
  • Restricted circulation causing tissue death
  • Nutritional deficiencies: vitamins A, B2, C, E, and zinc
  • Moisture on skin (especially urine) accelerates breakdown
  • Bedridden elderly, unconscious patients, paraplegics are highest risk

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

  1. Apply sugar or honey poulticeMashed plant material applied right on the skin. How to make a poultice to the sore — draws out toxins and promotes healing
  2. Comfrey leaves and slippery elm paste (equal parts, mixed with water): spread on cloth and tie over sore; can be left overnight
  3. Wash sores 3–4 times daily with witch hazel and myrrh or goldenseal teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea
  4. Sprinkle powdered goldenseal or echinacea over sores to disinfect; cover with cotton or wool
  5. Sprinkle granulated sugar over an open bedsore and cover with airtight dressing — healing within 2 weeks
  6. Raw honey on gauze pad and over the sore (equally effective)
  7. VitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → E oil to the skin around and over sores; alternate with raw honey, vitamin E cream, and aloe vera
  8. Mix goldenseal powder, vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → E oil, and a small amount of honey into a paste; apply whenever needed
  9. Correct the diet immediately: lower pH with acid foods (cranberries are ideal)
  10. Give vitamins A, B complex, C (1,000 mg), bioflavonoids, vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → E (400 IU), copper (4 mg), zinc (20 mg) daily

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📊 Compare these remedies side by side

Our editor score weighs sources, safety, simplicity, cost, and lifestyle fit. Source endorsements tally how many books and studies reference each remedy. A higher number isn't a promise — it's just a starting point.

RemedyTypeEditor scoreSource endorsements
Raw HoneyFood85282
Lemon & Vitamin-C FoodsFood91232
Vitamin D & SunshinePractice85206
Slippery ElmHerb78120
Saline Nasal RinseTherapy8371

🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Favor these

  • Cranberries (ideal for lowering skin pH)
  • Fresh fruit, green and yellow vegetables
  • Carrot juice
  • High-fiber diet with oat bran
  • Adequate fluids — drink even when not thirsty and at night

Go easy on

  • Processed, fried, and junk food
  • Meat
  • Vinegar (never drink vinegar — raises pH)
  • Sugar and refined carbohydrates

PREVENTION: Turn bedridden patient regularly; use sheepskin or air/water mattress; massage skin to stimulate circulation; keep skin dry and clean (avoid urine contact); give occasional sunlight to skin; use loose-fitting cotton clothing.

⚖️ Good to know

  • Never drink vinegar — it worsens the alkaline pH that allows bed sores to form
  • Do not use harsh soaps — use mild herbal soap
  • Urine on skin dramatically accelerates breakdown — keep skin clean and dry
  • Early intervention is critical — redness that is relieved by position change indicates stage 1; act immediately

🩺 When to see a doctor

  • For any stage 3 or 4 ulcer (deep tissue or bone involvement); if infection (foul odor, fever, spreading redness) develops.

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