Fever, red streaking, swelling, yellow or green pus, and excessive fluid are signs of infection and require immediate medical care.The free version of Bitwarden gets the basics right and doesn’t cost a thing, but it lacks a few features that make 1Password such a standout option, including password checkups, breach reports, and 1 GB of encrypted storage (all features you get with Bitwarden’s reasonably priced $10 per year premium plan). Any type of puncture wound, which has a high risk of infection, should also be seen by a medical professional.
While it’s safe to treat most minor cuts at home, get professional medical help for cuts with ragged rather than clean edges, when it’s deep enough that bone is visible, and when significant bleeding persists. Once healing has progressed enough that the wound has closed and a scar has formed, continue to keep the area clean and intact. Instead, continue to use the antibiotic ointment, and keep the wound covered with a clean bandage. This encourages the formation of a scab or a crust, which can crack open and become infected. Despite what you may have heard, you don’t want to “air out” a wound. This last is important to optimal healing, and brings us to another myth about wound care. This helps to prevent infection and to keep the wound moist and lubricated. When the bleeding stops, apply an antibiotic ointment. Instead, add a fresh and clean absorbent layer, and resume applying pressure to the cut. You risk dislodging the clot that has begun to form. If the cut is deep enough and the blood soaks through the cloth or bandage, don’t remove it. Be sure that the cloth or gauze you use is completely clean, otherwise you risk reintroducing debris or potentially infectious materials into the wound. If this happens, apply firm and steady pressure. By doing this, you accomplish the first step of caring for a cut – or any type of wound – which is to stop the bleeding.Ī cut may continue to bleed after you have finished cleaning it.
This gently cleanses the wound, and the cool water temperature causes the capillaries to constrict, which helps to slow bleeding. Leave it there for at least five minutes. Instead, the best way to clean a cut is to apply a mild soap and hold it under a slow stream of cool or cold running water. This also holds true for hydrogen peroxide, another common go-to disinfectant.
When applied to an open wound, rubbing alcohol can cause tissue damage and actually slow the healing process.
But in these cases, the alcohol is used on skin that is intact. It’s highly effective due to its chemical properties, which break down the fat-based external membranes of bacteria, killing them. Rubbing alcohol is a clear liquid made up of approximately 70% denatured ethanol or isopropanol, and it is used topically in medical settings to clean injection or surgical sites. How do you fix a cut?ĭear Reader: Your aunt isn’t alone in thinking that a cut should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol, but that’s not a good method. I’ve always heard you’re supposed hold it under running water. My aunt said to clean the cut with rubbing alcohol, which we didn’t have. Dear Doctor: I was helping with Thanksgiving dinner when the paring knife slipped and sliced my finger.