How does the body heal?
Ouch! You've scraped your knee, and you decide to cover it with a bandage until it heals. In fact, it seems that after a couple of days, it's well on its way to getting better. Your body sure knows how to become strong again after an injury! But exactly how does the body heal?
Think of your body as a machine. The individual parts work together to keep your body machine in tip-top form. Now let's return to that scraped knee! To stop the bleeding, platelets in your blood begin sticking together, which helps the blood to clot, filling the space created by the wound. A scab forms, and the wound in protected. White blood cells then fight off germs, and new skin grows under the scab. When the scab falls off, your healed skin is ready to face the world!
Just as your skin knows how to heal a wound, other body parts, such as your bones and muscles, can repair themselves too. While not every injury heals on its own, making healthy choices, such as drinking enough water and getting plenty of sleep, can make the recovery process as smooth as possible!
(by Mya Kagan)
Further Information
Your body's healing power is also made possible by your immune system. This collection of body defenses gets rid of bacteria and viruses when you get sick, helping you to recover as quickly as possible. In fact, your immune system can even take care of bacteria, viruses and other invaders before you show any symptoms of illness, or can prevent them from entering your body in the first place!