Infection due to bacteria is one of the most common causes of diseases in humans as well as animals. A bacterial infection is also a common complication associated with wounds as it can delay wound healing. However, some bacteria can support the process of tissue healing and accelerate recovery by promoting the repair mechanisms. These wound-healing bacteria can be helpful for managing skin lesions such as bites, burns, rosacea, cuts, acne, dermatitis, and eczema.

Let us have a deeper look at the role of wound-healing bacteria in the process of tissue repair and why it is important to avoid too much disinfection to prevent interruptions in the healing mechanisms.

Benefits of Would-healing Bacteria for Tissue Healing

Bacteria Support Tissue Building

Research studies have revealed that some bacteria can help in the process of healing, suggesting that too much disinfection might slow down or hamper the repair of the affected tissues.

For example; the normal flora of the skin plays a vital role in the homeostasis and maturation of the cutaneous immune response. It is estimated that the human skin harbors nearly 1000 types of bacteria that form the skin’s normal flora. These bacteria typically populate the skin without causing any harm to the dermis or epidermis. On the contrary, these bacteria help to lower inflammation in the affected tissues.

Moreover, the bacteria residing in the deeper layers of the hair follicles are often beyond the reach of basic disinfection procedures. These bacteria form the reservoir for re-colonization following the removal of the surface bacteria.

Other bacteria that commonly form the normal flora of the skin include Actino-bacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. These bacteria can help in the healing of skin tissues and improve the prognosis of skin lesions.

Also, it has been found that some species of Cutibacterium acnes can protect the skin against harmful microorganisms by converting some oils into fatty acids, which can acidify the surface of the skin and inhibit the colonization of pathogens.

These findings suggest that bacterial skin flora can be helpful for controlling the symptoms of rosacea.

Bacteria Provide Anti-Viral and Anti-Fungal Benefits

Some bacteria can support wound healing by creating an unfavorable environment for viruses and fungi thus making it difficult for them to survive.

The antifungal and antiviral activities of healthy bacteria are supported by silver ions present in silver solutions as they have the ability to damage DNA and interfere with metabolic processes, inducing cell death in viruses.

Silver can complement the wound-healing activities of healthy bacteria by interfering with proteins within viruses, which results in the prevention of their replication.

These findings suggest that having a healthy bacterial flora in combination with the use of silver solutions could offer promising results for improving the prognosis of wound management.

Silver Respects Beneficial Bacteria

There is a great emphasis on the use of silver solutions and gels for wound management due to their ability to protect beneficial bacteria while destroying only those that can cause infection.

The use of nano silver is highly recommended by researchers for promoting the healing of skin wounds, keeping in view the benefits of healthy bacteria in wound healing.

Silver-containing wound dressings have been found to create an effective barrier against infection-causing organisms, and hence, are considered ideal for topical wound dressing.

Nano silver is also found to produce broad antibacterial effects when taken orally. Silver-based products, when used orally every day, can also support the immune system naturally, and let it function as one of the critical lines of defense for the body.

Silver is believed to work by attaching to proteins on the walls of bacterial cells and damaging their cell membranes. These properties of nano silver, in combination with its protective effect on healthy bacteria, make it an efficient oral as well as topical agent for wound management.

Conclusion

Some bacteria can help to accelerate the body’s natural wound healing mechanisms thereby improving the recovery of patients with bites, burns, rosacea, cuts, acne, dermatitis, and eczema. The findings of research studies also point to the importance of the existence of healthy bacteria and why too much disinfection should be avoided.

References:

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32562332
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308956/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30735392/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25543008/