“My wound is not healing. What could be wrong?”
I have a bad wound on my arm from falling after riding a bike. It is not healing after 2 weeks. What could be wrong and causing this delay?
8 Answers
There are many possibilities here. You may have a severe abrasion or a deep laceration. You may need stitches to help bring the wound edges together. Your wound may have gotten infected. There's just too much that could be going on to really gauge. Please go see someone about this.
You need to be checked by a doctor for abscess, cellulitis, DVT, and peripheral vascular disease as causes of a non-healing wound.
Sometimes wounds can get infected if they are large or it is not kept clean. If the area feels warm to touch or there is any discharge it is important to see a doctor. Over the counter Neosporin is a great antibacterial to try as well.
The most likely reason is possible infection. Is it red? Swollen? Painful? Malodorous? Is it draining? If you responded yes to any of those I would recommend seeing a provider for further evaluation and possible need for antibiotics. If it is healing, but slow to heal, I would question circulation and/or overall healing problems. For this, I would also recommend seeing a provider for further evaluation of possible peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, etc.