How To Heal A Cut: First Aid and When To See The Doctor?

TheIndonesia.id - Cut can cause pain, and dangerously, it can run the risk of infection. For that, you must know what kind of cut wounds you can treat yourself, and what kind of cut wounds a doctor must treat. 

Based on the severity, the cut wounds are divided into shallow and deep. A shallow incision wound only covers the skin layer. Meanwhile, deep incision wounds can reach more than 1 cm and can affect tendons, muscles, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, and even bones.

A Cut Wound That Can Be Treated at Home

You can treat shallow incisions by yourself. The following are steps to treat incisions that can be done at home:

• Wash your hands with clean water and soap before cleaning the wound.
• Wash the wound with clean running water. If the incision is large or long, do not use disinfectant or antiseptic solutions (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or povidoine iodine) to clean the wound, as these solutions can damage and irritate the skin.
• Press the wound with a clean cloth or sterile gauze, and position the injured body part higher than the chest to control bleeding and swelling.
• If the wound is large enough, cover it with sterile gauze and bandage. As for small wounds, just leave them open until they heal by themselves.
• Aloe vera gel can be applied to shallow cuts to speed healing. You can use bottled aloe vera gel products or gel from the inside of a fresh aloe vera plant that has been cut and the spines removed.
• To reduce the pain, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as paracetamol. Avoid taking aspirin to relieve pain, because this drug has a risk of causing bleeding.
• If there is bruising or swelling around the wound, apply cold compresses, for example using ice cubes wrapped in a cloth.
• Remember, avoid placing ice cubes directly on the wound. Press the bruised or swollen area with the compress.
• Keep the wound dry and clean for 5-7 days.
• Avoid scratching or peeling off any scars or scabs that have formed over the wound.
• Avoid smoking, consuming alcohol, and excessive stress during the wound healing period, because these things can interfere with and slow down the recovery process.

A Cut Wound That Must Be Treated by a Doctor

Deep incisions need to be treated by a doctor and often require stitches. In deep cuts, such as those caused by cutting machines, the layers beneath the skin can be seen and bleeding can occur quickly and profusely, especially if large blood vessels are cut.

Immediately seek medical help at the nearest health facility. Do not delay for more than 6 hours if the incision is large or deep. Delaying medical treatment for a wound like this can result in shock from continued bleeding or a serious infection.

Apart from deep incisions that require immediate medical attention, there are also several conditions of incision wounds that need to be examined by a doctor, namely:

• The wound looks very dirty and difficult to clean. In wound conditions like this, doctors can give tetanus vaccine and tetanus immunoglobulin to prevent tetanus, especially if you have never received a tetanus toxoid vaccine (TT) or have not received a TT booster in the last 10 years.
• Cuts caused by scratches or animal bites.
• Wounds are in areas that are prone or sensitive, such as the face, scalp, and around the genitals; or in the area around the joints.
• The wound was caused by an accident or strong impact and there may be bleeding that is difficult to see under the skin tissue.
• There is a fever, the wound looks red and swollen, or pus appears from the wound. A wound like this may already be infected so it requires treatment from a doctor, for example in the form of giving antibiotics.
• Patients with injuries have a history of diabetes, or blood clotting disorders, are taking blood thinners, or are undergoing chemotherapy.
• Bleeding does not stop after pressing the wound for more than 10 minutes or bleeding profusely.
• Pain in the wound does not go away even after taking pain medication.
• Numbness in the area around the wound.
• The wound did not heal for weeks.

Handle incisions in the right way, and don't hesitate to see a doctor if necessary. During the recovery period, calm your mind and maintain your health by eating nutritious food, getting enough rest and sleep, drinking enough water, and not smoking and drinking alcohol.