System prevents bedsores

Elements of Sleep by Roger Budz

    Bedsores, more accurately called pressure ulcers, are areas of damaged skin and tissue that develop due to sustained pressure that cuts off circulation to various parts of the body, especially around the buttocks, hips and heels. Without adequate blood flow, the affected tissue dies.
Bedsores can develop quickly, progress rapidly and can be difficult to heal. Yet health experts say that many of those wounds are preventable.
    The pressure caused by sleeping on ordinary inner spring beds or even foam beds can cause the onset of bedsores. However, a pressure relieving low air loss mattress is capable of providing enough support without creating the pressure that is the inherent cause of pressure ulcers. Such a mattress also can help maintain the skin's integrity and prompt the healing of any bedsores that may already be present.
    A self-adjusting air system is capable of reducing the friction and shear that causes pressure ulcers by using a combination of high tech foam and air filled cells or chambers in which air can be moved about in response to the body's natural movements while efficiently redistributing and relieving pressure. The system is also capable of being adapted to either a profiling (adjustable) or flat (nonadjusting) platform and is much more cost effective than electrically powered systems that require a motor and a pump to operate. The mattress system is available for the person who may be bedridden at home or in an assisted living facility.

    Roger Budz is a sleep system specialist for Natural Form Performance Sleep Systems, 488 Main St., Warren. Contact him at (401) 237-4757 or roger@naturalformri.com.

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