Spinal Cord Injury Information

I sincerely hope the information presented will be useful and help you and yours cope with this devastating injury.

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SCI INFORMATION, Hygiene

This important section is devoted to hygiene, and includes information and tips on daily and SCI specific hygiene, our skin and how to care for it, how to protect our skin from injury, suggestions for the alleviation and treatment of pressure sores, bladder and bowel programs.

The Body Cover...Our Skin

  Skin covers and protects your entire body. It is made up of two layers of tissue: the epidermis and the dermis.

  The epidermis, or surface layer, consists of an outer part of dead cells and an inner part of living cells. The outer part of the epidermis acts as a buffer between the underlying body tissues and the environment. Dead cells are constantly shed and replaced with newer ones from the inner part of the epidermis.

  The dermis, or under layer of the skin, consists of thick fibrous tissue that gives strength and elasticity to the skin, It contains hair follicles (roots), sweat glands, sebaceous (sub-AYshuss) or oil glands, blood vessels, and nerve endings.

The four functions of your skin are:

Protection  |  Sensation  |  Fluid regulation   |  Temperature regulation

  Your skin does this for all of the body structures and tissues beneath it. This includes layers of fat, muscles, and bones.

· Your skin serves as a shield against most forms of chemical and physical agents, such as bacteria, dirt, foreign objects (such as pebbles), and ultraviolet rays from the sun.

· The skin also has a sensory function. The sensations of touch, pain, and temperature travel from nerve endings in your skin through the spinal cord to your brain.

· A major function of the skin is regulation of your body fluids and temperature. Sweat glands are always producing water and salts, changing the fluid content of your body. When liquid from your sweat glands evaporates, it helps maintain a stable body temperature.

· Adequate circulation of your blood is needed to keep the cells of your skin and body tissues alive. When your circulation is cut off for a prolonged time, cells die and sores develop, The most common cause of this problem is pressure from your bed or any hard surface. These sores are called pressure sores.