Getting cut is one of the most common household injuries. Almost any time you make a meal or wash dishes, you deal with knives. That’s before you even consider any tools you use for basic DIY home repairs.
Despite how often people cut themselves, dealing with the injury often leaves people mystified. They wonder what steps they should take or what order to do them.
Keep reading for the key steps you should follow when you cut your finger.
You should start the process by cleaning the injury. You can use soap, just make sure it’s a mild soap.
You don’t need to scrub at the cut either. The goal is for you to remove any foreign matter from the cut.
For example, let’s say you were slicing up carrots when you cut your finger. Tiny particulates of carrot will get deposited in the cut. Washing the cut helps remove them.
You can also use cold water, which helps constrict the blood vessels and slows the bleeding.
Once you clean the cut, you must get the bleeding under control.
Shallow cuts will often clot on their own if you give them a minute or two. For deeper cuts, apply steady, firm pressure to the cut.
Use a clean cloth, bandage, or gauze when you apply pressure. You don’t need whatever is on a dirty cloth to end up in your freshly cleaned cut.
Once you stop the bleeding, you something covering the cut to make sure nothing else gets into it. A basic adhesive bandage works well for small cuts. Larger or long cuts will often need gauze that you keep in place with medical tape.
If you have some handy, put a small amount of antibacterial cream on the cut before you apply the bandage. It helps the healing process.
Make sure you change the bandage at least once a day. Change the bandage more frequently if necessary.
With some cuts, you should seek professional medical attention. Cuts that call for professional help include:
You should also seek medical attention if you notice signs of infection around the cut, such as:
Untreated infections can slow healing, cause other problems, or even spread to other parts of your body.
When you cut your finger, stay calm. Most of the time, you won’t know how bad it is until after you clean the cut and apply pressure. The majority of cuts look scary because of the blood but only require at-home treatment.
If you experience a more serious cut or infection, however, seek out professional medical attention.
When you are sick or have an injury, you want to start feeling better as soon as possible. While visiting your primary care doctor or the emergency room is an option, urgent care is a bridge between these two offices and provides fast and accurate care for minor medical issues.
If you’re searching for “urgent care near me” in Louisiana, look no further than Coastal Urgent Care. Our urgent care centers are here to provide you with the care you need, where and when you need it most. Visit one of our urgent care clinics in Baton Rouge, Bossier, Gonzales, Ruston, or Slidell. Find a Coastal Urgent Care near you to start feeling better today!