Factsheet 1: What is a wound?
A wound is any damage to, or break in, the surface of the skin.
Wounds can be:
- Accidental: burns, grazes, paper cuts, skin tears, and so on
- The result of surgery
- Related to an underlying disease like diabetes
- The result of skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
- Acute vs chronic
Chronic wounds need special care. They are almost always associated with underlying chronic diseases that affect blood supply or cell function at the wound site, and these underlying conditions must also be diagnosed and addressed for proper healing to happen.
Seek the advice of a healthcare professional like a nurse or doctor if your wound:
- Is taking longer than a month to heal or keeps returning
- Is hot and painful
- Smells bad
- Is oozing a thick, yellowish fluid.
Types of chronic wound
Any acute wound, from grazes to surgical scars, can become chronic if certain risk factors are present. You can find out more about those risk factors in factsheet 2.
However, the majority of chronic wounds are pressure injuries, diabetes-related ulcers or venous leg ulcers.
Pressure injuries
- Also called bed sores, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers.
- Generally occur in people with medical conditions that force them to spend long periods in a bed or chair.
- Caused by sustained pressure, friction or shearing force (when two surfaces move in opposite directions) on the skin.
- Commonly affected areas include shoulder blades, spine, the backs of arms and legs, and the tailbone and buttocks.
- May range in severity from small and superficial to big and deep, sometimes down to the bone.
Diabetes-related ulcers
- Generally begin on the feet
- The result of changes to nerves and circulation in the body caused by diabetes
- Three main types:
- Neuropathic: a lack of feeling in the foot means that small wounds such as blisters from new shoes go unnoticed and get infected
- Ischaemic: poor blood supply or circulation, also called peripheral vascular disease
- Neuro-ischaemic: a combination of poor circulation and lack of feeling in the foot
- Serious ulcers can lead to amputation of toes, feet or even the lower leg
- Amputation carries its own risks: the surgical scar may also not heal.
Leg ulcers
- A wound between the knee and ankle joint
- Slow to heal because of circulation problems in the leg
- Can be:
- Arterial:
- Affecting arteries carrying blood to the leg
- Usually occur on the foot or lower leg
- Can be small but deep and often painful
- Heart disease is a risk factor
- Venous:
- Affecting veins carrying blood back to the heart
- Usually occur around the ankle
- Are shallow but painful
- Sometimes called venous stasis ulcers or varicose ulcers
- Often caused by swelling from injury that prevents veins from working efficiently
- Mixed:
- A combination of venous and arterial disease.
- Arterial:
Find out more about leg ulcers in factsheet 11.
Finding help and support
Good sources of advice about wounds include:
- Wound care clinicians
- GPs
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Podiatrists
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers
- Diabetes educators
- Some allied health professionals such as dietitians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Are you at greater risk of developing a chronic wound? Find out in factsheet 2.
Disclaimer
This factsheet was produced by Wounds Australia in consultation with qualified clinicians. It is intended to support, not replace, the relationship between you and your healthcare professionals. Please seek proper medical attention as required.
Wounds Australia factsheets are reviewed annually.
Last reviewed: January 2023.