There are actually people who specialize in the science of pressure prevention. Needless to say it can get a little complicated. However, don't let the complex details derail you from understanding the basics, which are really simple.

When a normally mobile person sits, stands, or reclines, pressure points result in us changing position in an attempt to reduce the pressure, or move the pressure point to a different place on our body. As we sleep, we don't remain in the same position all night. We toss and turn during the night. We do this automatically. When a person loses mobility, strength, or mental capacity, they may not be able to do this any more. This can result in pressure remaining on a body part until the blood flow to that area is diminished long enough to result in tissue damage. This can eventually lead to pressure ulcers. Preventing these problems is the domain of pressure prevention, or pressure reduction.

Imagine you lie down on a cement floor. After a short time you begin to feel pressure on your heels, buttocks, scapula, and the back of your head. Would it feel better if you put a piece of foam between you and the concrete? Sure! Because the foam redistributes the pressure to a greater area of your body. This simple understanding is really the basic idea of pressure reduction. How pressure prevention is done, and with what type of product is where the complications begin.

Immobile people spend most of their time either in bed, or in a chair of some type. So, pressure reduction products are divided into chair and bed products. Chair products can take the form of foam, memory foam, or gel pads or cushions. However, let's talk about bed products. Pressure prevention can begin with something simple like a mattress overlay. The most common approaches are foam, memory foam, gel, or air-filled sacs. Another option is a mattress replacement. There are some pretty high tech mattress replacements which utilize multiple zones and layers of foam and can even involve hybrids of foam, memory foam, and gel. 

A higher level of mattress replacement involves air sacs powered by a pump or blower. Usually these sacs run the width of the mattress. In an alternating pressure mattress, every other sac is inflated for a period of time, after which those sacs deflate to a lesser pressure and the previously deflated sacs inflate. This constantly changes the place where pressure is applied. These mattresses work very well to prevent pressure from remaining on any part of the body for too long. This type of mattress is called an alternating pressure mattress replacement system. They incorporate a pump box which consists of a pump which pressurizes room air along with the electronics to monitor the mattress and switch the air back and forth between the various air sacs. This type of mattress can have different lengths and widths, as well as various quality levels which affect the durability and the type of material and comfort where the patient's skin comes into contact with the mattress. 

The highest level of mattress replacement is the true low air loss mattress replacement system. This type of mattress uses a high flow blower which creates a large flow of air which escapes from the mattress. This helps to keep the patient's skin cool and dry which is another element to preventing skin breakdown. Because the electronic controls for this type of mattress are more complex, and the blower itself is much more expensive, these mattress systems are considerably more expensive than alternating pressure mattresses.

Please browse the various products for pressure prevention here. Give us a call at 800-511-2601 if you need some help selecting just the right product for your loved one.