Many small wounds, such as cuts and scrapes, can be easily treated at home. However, if you've sustained a more serious injury or contracted an infection, you may need medical attention to make sure you recover completely.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Treating Minor Injuries at Home
Step 1. Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding
Wash your hands, then press firmly on the affected area with a clean bandage or cloth. By sanitizing your hands, you will avoid transferring bacteria into the wound, while the pressure will help slow bleeding and promote clotting.
If the wound is on an arm, hand, leg, or foot, you can also slow the bleeding by lifting it above the level of the heart. For the upper limbs, it is enough to keep them in the air. For the lower ones, you'll need to lie down in bed and rest your leg on a pile of pillows
Step 2. Clean the wound
Rinse it with clean water. This way, you'll remove dirt and other debris that could be causing an infection. Wash the skin around the affected area with soap and a clean cloth, then gently pat it dry.
- If you are unable to remove all the foreign bodies from the wound with running water, you may need to remove them with tweezers. Wash and sterilize the tool you will use with denatured alcohol before touching the skin. Afterward, gently remove any debris found inside the lesion. If you can't get them all off, go to the emergency room and get medical help.
- If there is an object stuck in your wound, don't remove it. On the contrary, go to the emergency room right away, so that it can be taken out safely, without causing further damage.
- Avoid cleaning the wound with cotton balls, which could leave particles of material stuck in the wound, thus increasing the risk of infection and complicating healing.
Step 3. Prevent infection with a topical antibiotic
After stopping the bleeding and cleaning the wound, apply antibiotic cream to the affected area to protect it from infection. You can buy over-the-counter creams and ointments, such as Bactroban or Gentalyn, at the drugstore. Use them for a day or two.
- Always read and follow the instructions on the package. If you are pregnant, nursing, or need to treat a baby, consult your doctor before using any medication.
- Do not apply an antiseptic disinfectant such as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, which could damage tissue and delay healing.
Step 4. Cover the wound with a bandage
This way, you will prevent bacteria and dirt from getting into the skin. Depending on the location of the wound, a simple adhesive bandage may be sufficient. If, on the other hand, the affected area is more extensive or is close to a joint, it may be necessary to bandage it so that the bandage does not move.
- Do not bandage the wound so tightly that circulation is interrupted.
- Change the bandage every day to prevent infections. If you notice the gauze getting wet or dirty, replace it immediately.
- Use waterproof bandages or wrap them in plastic wrap when you shower to keep them dry.
Step 5. Check the wound to make sure it is not infected
If you notice symptoms of an infection, go to the emergency room. Signs to watch for include:
- Pain that increases over time
- Heat coming from the wound;
- Swelling;
- Redness;
- Secretion of pus from the wound;
- Fever.
Method 2 of 2: Get Medical Treatment
Step 1. If you are seriously injured, go to the emergency room
Avoid driving alone if you have just suffered a serious injury. Get someone to accompany you or call an ambulance. If you have severe bleeding or an injury that is likely to cause permanent disability if not treated properly, you must receive professional medical care. These cases include:
- Arterial cuts. If the bleeding produces bright red blood that gushes from the wound every time your heart beats, call an ambulance. In this case, it is important to get help before losing too much blood.
- Bleeding that does not stop after a few minutes of pressure. This can occur if the cut is severe and deep, if you have a hematological disease, or if you are on medications that prevent blood from clotting.
- Wounds that prevent you from moving a part of your body or cause loss of sensation. This symptom may indicate that the injury is deep and reaches the bone or tendons.
- Wounds in which a foreign body is stuck. Common examples of such foreign bodies include glass, splinters or stones. In this case, a doctor will need to remove the debris to prevent infection.
- Long, jagged cuts that hardly heal on their own. If the tear exceeds 5 cm in extension, sutures may be needed to help close the wound.
- Facial wounds. Injuries in that part of the body require expert care, so as to avoid scarring.
- Wounds at high risk of infection. This includes lesions contaminated with feces, body fluids (including saliva from animal or human bites) and earth.
Step 2. Get medical attention for your wound
Your doctor will likely recommend specific treatment. If the wound is not infected, it will clean and close it quickly to prevent scarring. There are several techniques your doctor can use to close a cut:
- Stitches. Wounds that exceed 5 cm in extension can be sewn with sterile thread. The stitches can be removed by a doctor five to seven days after surgery for small tears, seven to 14 days for larger ones. Alternatively, if your doctor sees fit, they can use a special thread that will dissolve on its own after a few weeks as the wound heals. Always avoid removing stitches yourself. You could cause further injury or an infection in the area already affected.
- Surgical glue. This substance is applied along the edges of the lesion, which is held closed with the hands. As it dries, it will seal the wound and come off on its own after about a week.
- Butterfly stitches or steri strips. These are not actually sutures, rather adhesive strips that keep the wound closed. Your doctor will remove them after the wound has healed, so avoid removing them yourself.
Step 3. Let your doctor treat an infected wound
In this case, the doctor will treat the infection before closing the cut. In fact, if a wound is closed while it is still infected, the bacteria can remain sealed inside the body and spread. Your doctor can:
- Swab the infection so that the pathogen can be analyzed and identified. This can help determine which treatment is best.
- Clean the wound and dab it with a dressing that prevents it from closing.
- Give yourself antibiotics to fight the infection.
- Ask you to come back after a few days to see if the infection has been successfully treated. If so, it will close the wound.
Step 4. Take a tetanus shot
If the wound is deep or contains foreign bodies and you have not been vaccinated against tetanus in the past five years, your doctor may ask you to have an immunogloblin injection.
- Tetanus is a bacterial infection. It can cause the muscles of the jaw and neck to contract, a phenomenon known as tetanus trismus. In addition, it can cause breathing problems and be fatal.
- Tetanus is incurable, so the best prevention is to stay up to date with vaccinations.
Step 5. If your wound does not heal, go to the emergency room so that they can offer you specific care
Wounds that fall into this category are those that do not begin to heal after two weeks or have not yet healed after six weeks. The most common types of hard-to-heal injuries include pressure sores, surgical injuries, radiation sores, wounds resulting from diabetes, poor blood circulation, or swollen legs, which often occur in the foot. In a specialized center you will have access to:
- Nurses, doctors and physical therapists who will teach you how to clean the wound properly and do exercises to promote circulation.
- Specific therapies to remove dead tissue. These methods include incisions, removals through the use of water streams or syringes, the application of chemicals to dissolve necrotized tissue, and the use of wet dressings that dry on the wound and absorb dead tissue.
- Specialized procedures to promote healing include: compression stockings to improve circulation, ultrasound to stimulate healing, artificial tissues to protect wounds as they heal, removal of fluids from the wound with negative pressure therapy, administration of growth hormones to promote healing and hyperbaric oxygen therapy to increase blood supply to tissues.
