All adults in Fort Worth get some kind of wound at some point. If you have a wound, it can often be challenging to determine the right course of action. Sometimes, you tend to worry for nothing, but other times, you can cause severe damage without realizing it. Wound care in Fort Worth determines how soon you get better. Here are some of the most common mistakes that people tend to make when caring for their wounds:
Not Consulting a Doctor
Some wounds require special care, such as stitches (sutures) or bandages. Picking your scabs with sharp objects or dirty materials can make it worse. You should consult a doctor if:
- You clean your wound and put on bandages regularly, and there is still a lot of pus or blood.
- The wound smells bad.
- You have flu symptoms, such as high temperature, headache, and vomiting.
These could be the signs of an infected wound.
Not Cleaning Your Wounds Properly
If you want to speed up your recovery and avoid skin infections and scars, you must clean your wound carefully and regularly:
- Please wash your hands with soap before touching the wounded area and dry them well afterwards. If there’s no water nearby, use an alcohol rub to disinfect them instead.
- Clean away dried blood so that germs can’t settle in the open wound. Use sterile water (boiled for 5 minutes), tap water without chlorine but boiled for at least 10 minutes, or disinfected saline solution (saltwater). If you can’t get any disinfected saline solution, you can use boiled, cooled tap water instead.
- It would help if you never cleaned the wound with flannels, cotton wool, or tissues, as these contain bacteria that might infect your wound.
- After cleaning, avoid touching the area so it doesn’t become irritating. If you must touch the area, do it very carefully using sterile tweezers.
Not Using Disinfectant
Most wounds are prone to infections, so they are susceptible to germs and other microorganisms if not properly disinfected. So always remember to:
- Use a mild antibacterial soap. Use it once per day, and make sure you rub it gently.
- Clean your wound with disinfected saline solution, boiled water, or mildly antibacterial soap.
- Dust your wound lightly with a disinfectant powder before putting on any bandages.
Using the Wrong Materials
To avoid skin problems and infections, make sure you use clean, soft materials for your bandages. Use non-adhesive sterile dressings. They are ideal as they keep out bacteria and dirt from the open wound and lessen the pain.
You can use ordinary adhesive tapes, but they may irritate your skin, so it’s better to cover them with soft gauze. Don’t use adhesives that contain zinc as they may irritate the area around the wound.
Not Taking Antibiotics As Prescribed
Some wounds heal without antibiotics. However, if your doctor prescribed antibiotics for you, it means that the wound is more prone to infections. Antibiotics are usually given for 3-5 days, after which symptoms should improve. If symptoms worsen, consult a doctor again as there might be other complications. And remember, don’t stop taking antibiotics unless your doctor tells you so.
By avoiding the above mistakes, your wound will heal faster, and you may have fewer chances of infection. Although you can treat your wounds at home, always seek medical attention if things don’t seem to be going well.
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