Essential After-Care Tips Once You Are Fitted With A Prosthetic Limb
Although nobody would want to lose a limb, the advent of prosthetic devices has greatly diminished the drawbacks that come with this type of casualty. Also referred to as artificial limbs, these devices can help with restoring one's mobility, maintaining one's independence, and generally preserving a semblance of normalcy in your life. Nonetheless, having a prosthetic device fitted is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you get an artificial limb, it is vital that you familiarise yourself with the best practices to care for it, so that you can make the most of this device. To ensure that you are not putting yourself or your artificial limb at risk, here are a couple of essential after-care tips once you are fitted with a prosthetic limb.
Engage in Thorough Cleaning Daily
A common blunder that some first-time prosthetic users make is to assume they only need to clean their liner occasionally, but this is untrue. You need to be cognizant of the fact that not only is the liner in constant contact with your skin but so are parts of the prosthetic device. As such, both these items are bound to be coated in sweat, oils, grime, and so on. To maintain proper hygiene, you must clean the liner, the prosthetic device, and your remaining limb daily with soap and water so that you can mitigate the threat of fungal growths and subsequent infections. To make this chore easier, it is advisable to purchase multiple liners so that you have one on hand when your previously used liner is drying.
Thoroughly Inspect the Prosthetic and Your Limb
Admittedly, getting accustomed to your new prosthetic device will take time. As such, you can expect to experience some discomfort for a few days after having this artificial limb fitted. Nonetheless, you should know that in some cases, the discomfort may stem from a jeopardized prosthetic device or injury to your limb. Therefore, it is vital to inspect both the device and your skin to make sure you are not at risk of infection. For starters, any signs of physical damage to the prosthetic device, for example, hairlines cracks, should prompt you to stop using the prosthetic and visit your orthopedist immediately so that the device can be repaired. Secondly, any injuries to your limb, such as scrapes, lacerations, or bruises should also urge you to stop using the prosthetic device until your orthopedist can establish the cause of these injuries.
To learn more about prosthetics, talk to an orthopedist near you.