Skin breakdown is a severe health condition basically caused because of friction, moisture, shear, and pressure. In that case, lower air loss (LAL) mattresses can help to prevent skin breakdown and pressure wounds.
Wondering how exactly do low air loss mattresses prevent skin breakdown? Well, low air mattresses are made with small laser-made air-filled holes on the upper surface. Air holes help the patient to float and distribute their body weight over the surface of the mattress.
The floating and body weight distribution process helps manage heat and moisture to support skin integrity. Learn about how low air loss mattresses help to manage skin breakdown issues throughout this article.
What Are Low Air Loss Mattresses?
Low air mattresses are specially designed to treat and prevent skin breakdown and pressure wounds. These mattresses are constructed with many inflatable air tubes. The tubes constantly blow out air, and this helps keep the patient afloat. Based on the patient’s movement, the air tubs are periodically inflated and detached.
This floating process reduces the skin interface pressure at the mattress’s top. Low air mattresses particularly help to relieve pressure from the back and also ensure proper air circulation. When it’s about preventing skin breakdown, using a low air mattress for speedy recovery is one of the top recommendations by health care professionals.
Do Low Air Loss Mattresses Prevent Skin Breakdown
Low air mattresses can work in two different ways, including preventing and curing skin breakdown issues. Before knowing how low air mattresses prevent skin breakdown, know about how a low air loss mattress works:
A Low Air Loss Mattress Working Process
The mattress has inner air delivery holes with a dedicated air supply machine. The energy-efficient control or power unit is multifunctional, and it inflates and supplies a constant airflow to the inner air delivery holes. It removes the excess moisture from the skin, and here is how it works:
- The low air loss bed is built with a simple air coverlet function.
- It absorbs patients’ moisture and passes in vapor from down through the coverlet.
- Here the air continuous air current within the air diffusion matrix.
- The air diffusion matrix takes the moisture away before it reform as a liquid.
How a Low Air Loss Mattress Prevent Skin Breakdown?
Skin breakdown means damage to the skin surface which happens because of pressure sores and many more reasons. The low air loss mattress helps to prevent pressure soreness and helps to treat and prevent skin breakdown. This bed works in three different ways, here they are:
1. Air Chambers
Low air loss mattress is made of Nylon or PVC, and it has inflatable cylinders or chambers. The chambers are adjacent simultaneously, and they create a seamless surface to support the patient’s lying position.
2. Pump
The pumps or blowers help to supply and fill the air chambers with air. However, you’ll find many pump options on a power unit with an automatic pump option. So that, you can be able to adjust the air supply rate based on the patient’s skin condition.
3. Cover
A low air loss mattress cover works to prevent body moisture and reduce skin pressure from the bed surface. The cover helps to eliminate friction, which helps to wick the moisture and keep the patient dry.
The low air loss mattress’s air chambers help to keep the patient floating. Most of the air beds supply 100-150 liters of air per minute to manage the skin temperature and moisture level. Since the air chambers slowly switch inflation and deflation based on the patient’s movement, it’ll provide additional comfort.
Its non-noticeable pressure changing process will prevent constant pressure on fragile skin areas. And the whole process will improve skin condition and also blood flow as well.
What Are Other Benefits Of Using A Low Air Loss Mattress?
Alongside preventing skin breakdown, what benefits do low air mattresses offer? Learn about some of the most noticeable benefits of using a low air loss mattress by following the below steps-
Improved Blood Circulation
The air loss mattress helps to stimulate blood circulation by using pressure redistribution.
Alternate Pressure Points
The pressure points can be relieved through a low air loss mattress alternating pressure point feature.
Low-Air Loss Technology
An air loss mattress provides a cool sleeping surface through its low-air loss technology. The cool surface will let the patient sleep efficiently.
Other Convenience
Unlike other mattresses, low air loss mattresses offer low maintenance. They’re lightweight, and by washing the mattress top cover, you can keep them clean.
What Is the Difference Between Low Air Loss and Alternating Pressure Mattress?
Both low air loss and alternating pressure mattresses share plenty of contrasts and dissimilarities. The differences mainly lie in health benefits.
An air loss mattress is used to relieve pressure and keep the skin dry. Conversely, an alternating pressure mattress is good for treating pressure sores. Alternating pressure mattress provides sets of air cells that repeatedly shift patient’s body pressure by expanding and contracting the air cells.
The air pressure changing process will help to cure pressure sores. However, both low air loss and alternating pressure mattresses are effective in forbidding pressure ulcers.
Final Thought
Well, now you know how do low air loss mattresses prevent skin breakdown and the complete working process. Low air mattresses are among many innovative medical kits that significantly help to manage an optimal health condition. Their pressure alleviation system will keep the patient’s skin cool and dry.
The method of drying and cooling the skin will trim the risk of skin infections by preventing heat and moisture build-up. Low air loss mattresses will also provide adequate comfort by adjusting the patient’s position and distrusting the weight over the mattress’s surface.
