Vitamin A As An Intervention For Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores or decubitus ulcers, appear most often on the hips, buttocks or heels. Constant pressure on the same body area cuts off the blood supply to the skin, causing the skin tissue to die. An open wound can develop, which is vulnerable to infections, especially if the area isn't kept dry. People with spinal cord injuries, the elderly and others who are mobility impaired or have poor sensation are most at risk. Prevention is your best bet, but good nutrition and skin care are appropriate interventions once a pressure ulcer develops.

Malnutrition and Pressure Sores

Malnutrition is a big contributor to pressure sores. If you don't take in enough calories, your body uses up all its stored fat to give you energy. That fat provides a protective layer between your bones and your skin. Without it, your bones put more pressure on the skin, so the blood supply is cut off. Once your fat layer is gone, your body begins to take protein from your muscles. This muscle wasting and weakness means you may not move around or change position very often, and constant pressure cuts off the blood supply to your skin where it meets the surface you are lying or sitting on. Malnutrition also tends to cause body swelling, which also reduces blood supply to the skin.

Good Nutrition and Pressure Sores

If you weigh less than 80 percent of your ideal body weight, you are more at risk of developing a pressure ulcer, so you may need to take in more calories, according to Amy Fleishman, R.D. Fleishman recommends consuming 30 to 35 calories per kilogram of your body weight; about 20 to 24 percent of those calories should be from protein, such as fish, eggs, meats, milk or peanut butter. Good hydration is also important, both to keep the skin from drying out and to help keep blood flowing. Other important nutrients in treating pressure ulcers are zinc, arginine, glutamine and vitamins C and A.

Vitamin A and Pressure Ulcers

Vitamin A helps in wound healing because it helps build collagen, that tough, fibrous material that provides structure for your skin, tendons and bones, and helps fight off the infections associated with decubitus ulcers by producing white blood cells.

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS, the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of vitamin A is 3,000 IU for adult males and 2,310 IU for adult females. While the ODS reports a tolerable upper intake level of 10,000 IU for healthy adults, that number does not necessarily apply if you have vitamin A deficiency or if you're being treated by a health care professional for specific medical conditions. Douglas MacKay and Alan Miller, both naturopathic doctors, and dietitian Amy Fleishman suggest 20,000 to 25,000 IU if you're battling a pressure sore. Always consult your physician before taking more than the RDA of any supplement, as side effects can occur.

Preventing Pressure Ulcers

While challenging, prevention is easier than treatment when it comes to pressure ulcers. Maintaining a healthy diet, keeping your skin clean and dry and changing position frequently are the primary preventative strategies.

If you're bed-bound, have someone help you change position about every two hours. If you're sitting in a chair, try to relieve the pressure on your buttocks on your own about every 15 minutes; if needed, have someone help you with bigger changes every hour. Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist about maintaining mobility and about which pressure-relieving chair cushion or bed surface is right for you.