Over the course of the years that I was a home health nurse I had the privilege of being trained by some remarkable people.

One of my trainers was a wound care expert.

He taught me something I will never forget.

He said in the case of bed sores, the first sign of a bed sore was an increased sense of warmth in the area. Even before the erythema or redness appeared he said if you touched the area it would be hot.

What your body is doing when this happens is a survival technique that God weaved into our cells. The warmth that you feel is the body’s attempt to burn out the bacteria.

I have used this advice as a litmus test for wounds. Wounds are usually discolored but the discoloration does not always suggest infection. If they are red and hot to the touch then you may need to go see your doctor.