Healing
Of Cuts and Scratches
After getting a
cut, scratch, or abrasion, your skin may start bleeding. This
happens because the injury breaks or tears the tiny blood
vessels that live right under the skin's surface. Your body
wants to stop the bleeding so the platelets in your blood
come to the rescue.
At the site of
a wound, which is another word for injury, platelets stick
together, like glue. This is called clotting, which works
like a plug to keep blood and other fluids from leaking out.
A scab, a hardened and dried clot, forms a crust over the
wound. This protects the area so the cells underneath can
have time to heal.
Underneath the
scab, new skin cells multiply to repair the wound. Damaged
blood vessels are repaired, and infection-fighting white blood
cells attack any germs that may have gotten into the wound.
You can not see it under the scab, but a new layer of skin
is forming. And when the new skin is ready, the scab falls
off.
A scab usually
falls off within a week or two. If you pick at a scab, the
new skin underneath can be ripped and the wound will take
longer to heal and may leave a scar. So try not to pick at
scabs.
Treatment For A Cut Or Scratch
Stop any bleeding
by pressing a clean, soft cloth against the wound. If the
wound is not very bad, the bleeding should stop in a few minutes.
Then you will want to clean the wound, using warm water and
a gentle soap.
Most small cuts,
scrapes, or abrasions will heal well without any special care.
Antibacterial ointment are available to kill germs. Also,
with a use of bandage will keep your wound from getting irritated
and will prevent germs from getting inside. If you use a bandage,
it should be changed daily and when it gets wet or dirty.
Treatment To A Cut That Bleeds Continously
If a wound is very
long or deep or if its edges are far apart, then you may need
stitches. The doctor will use some type of anesthetic on your
skin to numb it. This numbing medicine might be applied directly
or through a shot.
Then the doctor
will suture, or sew, the edges of the cut together with a
small needle and special thread.
For more minor
cuts, the doctor might use a special kind of glue, instead
of stitches, to close your cut. This glue holds the sides
of the cut together so the skin can begin to heal. The glue
will dissolve over time.
If you get stitches,
after the wound heals, you will need to go back to the doctor
in about a week to get those stitches taken out. The doctor
will just snip the thread with scissors and gently pull out
the threads. It feels funny but usually doesn't hurt.
Sometimes, a small
scar forms after stitches are removed. If you do not get the
proper care for a serious cut, a more noticeable scar may
form.
Taking Care
Certain cuts or
bites could develop into tetanus, another serious illness.
Your parent will need to check your medical records and be
sure that you have had a tetanus shot recently.
Sometimes, a cut,
scratch, or abrasion starts out as no big deal, but then gets
infected. An infection happens when there are too many germs
for your body's white blood cells to handle. Infected wounds
may hurt, look red and swollen, and contain pus, a yellowish
or greenish thick liquid. If your cut, scratch, or abrasion
looks infected, you should talk to your parent. You may need
to see a doctor for antibiotics to get rid of the infection.
But more often,
your cuts, scratches, and abrasions go away on their own,
thanks to your body's amazing ability to heal itself.
