A finger cut is a fairly common occurrence in everyday life. It is a violation of the integrity of the skin, which is accompanied by bleeding. As a rule, this occurs when careless handling of sharp objects. The appearance of a cut is accompanied by a lot of inconvenience and discomfort, and also limits the working activity of the hand. In order to learn how to stop blood from a finger, you need to refer to the elementary rules of first aid.
What to do first?
A finger cut is a situation in which you need to act quickly. If the wound is shallow, then with proper treatment, everything will do without complications. As you know, there are no vital arteries on the fingers, so in this case you can not be afraid of severe blood loss. However, the injuries themselves can be quite serious. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- Stop the blood.
- Prevent wound infection.
If the cut gets infected,then the inflammatory process will begin, suppuration will appear. Such consequences can be much more serious than a small blood loss.
The simplest and most affordable way to disinfect a wound is hydrogen peroxide. It should treat the cut with it, after raising your finger up. After that, you can bandage the wound or seal it with a bactericidal plaster.
How to stop blood from a finger at home if there are no disinfectants and hemostatic drugs at hand? In such a situation, you should immerse your palm in cold water. This will help not only wash the wound, but also narrow the blood vessels, so that the bleeding will soon stop.
Deep Wound
When cooking in the kitchen, you have to deal with a lot of sharp objects. That is why annoying incidents often happen there, when, for example, the hostess deeply cut her finger with a knife. How to stop the bleeding in this case? To do this, you need to raise your hand up and not move the injured finger. If a person has problems with clotting, then specialized medicines and, possibly, medical care cannot be dispensed with. If there are foreign objects or substances in the wound, this can slow down the process of stopping bleeding. Until it stops, you can not use healing ointments.
The cut should be washed well with peroxide. If there are no complications, then the blood should stop within 10 minutes even with a deep cut. You can apply a tight bandage, but do not squeeze your finger too hard. Instead ofordinary bandage, it is permissible to use specialized antibacterial dressings, which can be purchased at pharmacies.
How to stop the blood on the thumb with a deep cut? There are several rules that can help even in the most unfavorable situation:
- You must never move your finger. This can significantly slow down the process of stopping bleeding and the formation of the first "crust".
- After washing the wound, the finger should not be wetted. If this is unavoidable, rubber gloves should be used. After contact with water, it is necessary to remove the product and change the bandage. If this is not done, ideal conditions for the development of infections will arise (warmth, high humidity, minimal oxygen supply).
- At first, you will need to change the bandage every 3-4 hours, later - several times a day. In this case, it is necessary to carefully treat the wound with an antiseptic.
Dirty Cut
Situations arise when a person cuts his finger while working with sharp tools or swimming in a pond. "How to stop the bleeding?" - the question that worries him in the first place. However, in such a situation, it is more dangerous that dirt is likely to get into the wound. Rinsing the cut with plenty of clean cold water will not be enough. It is necessary to dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate and treat the wound with it. Next comes the turn of hydrogen peroxide. The foam that it forms perfectly cleans the cut from various microbes and bacteria. The edgeswounds should be additionally treated with brilliant green (you must act carefully so as not to “burn” the skin around). After all the disinfecting procedures have been carried out, you can apply a tight bandage that has a pressure effect.
Special preparations
If a person cuts his finger, and already knows how to stop the blood, then it is important to take care of the prevention of infection. It, as noted above, represents a much greater danger than bleeding. Ointments containing tetracycline and neomycin can be used as a preventive measure. It is advisable to anoint the finger within 4 hours after the injury, then the preparations will be most effective.
There are also specialized wound healing and antiseptic agents. They are applied after the bleeding stops and the bandage is removed. You can use such wound healing creams and ointments as Solcoseryl, Levomekol, Rescuer, Bepanten.
Children
Mobile fidgets can easily get hurt. In this regard, many parents are concerned about the question of how to stop blood from a finger in a child. In this case, such "adult" disinfectants as iodine, brilliant green or hydrogen peroxide will not work. The child is already in pain from the cut, so burning during the treatment of the wound is completely useless. Such side effects occur due to the fact that alcohol is present in the composition of these drugs. It is better to give preference to water-based medicines. One ofsuch preparations for the treatment of wounds is Octenisept. Since you need to act immediately when a cut appears, it is worth taking care of its presence in advance. If it is not in the home first aid kit, then you will have to use old, but time-tested remedies.
Folk methods
What should I do if a fingertip was cut while in the country or in the field? How to stop the bleeding? The pharmacy is far away, and it is not possible to get to the hospital. Before returning "to civilization" you can use folk remedies. Decoctions of oak bark or chamomile are the most effective and safe natural antiseptics. They can be used separately, but they are most effective together. Chamomile is known for its disinfecting properties. Oak bark contains astringents that are necessary to stop bleeding.
The advice about applying psyllium is relevant in a variety of situations, and this one is no exception. Burdock leaves are fine too. These plants have not only antiseptic, but also wound healing properties. However, before applying the sheets to the wound, you need to thoroughly rinse them in running water. It is also important to make small notches on them so that they highlight the healing juice.
Antibiotics are even in nature. If the wound is contaminated, then you can not do without tincture of calendula. You can also prepare a decoction of this plant. If there are no medicines at hand, then you should rely oncalendula. It is believed that this plant can help even with a strong inflammatory process.
If the situation is hopeless, there are no antiseptics at hand (both medicinal and natural), then extreme measures can be taken. A contaminated finger cut should be washed with a mild saline solution. Obviously, such manipulations will cause very strong irritation and pain. But still, if there are no alternatives, saline solution can do a good job of disinfecting the wound.
Precautions
Some people who know how to stop finger bleeding are overconfident. If there are foreign bodies or substances in the wound (glass fragments, dirt, and so on), then it is strictly forbidden to try to expand the cut and get it all on your own. You should use a tourniquet (tightened on the finger a little above the cut), apply a sterile bandage to the wound and without fail seek qualified medical help. This instruction will also be relevant for a deep wound, as it will help stop severe bleeding and minimize the risk of infection.
When is medical attention needed?
What to do if you cut your finger, but the blood does not stop? This may indicate that large blood vessels or tendons have been damaged. Seek emergency medical attention if:
- Blood flows very quickly, as if under pressure.
- There is a foreign body in the wound.
- The sensitivity of the fingers has deteriorated significantly.
- Unable to bend or unbend the phalanges.
- The blood does not stop for a long time and constantly oozes from the wound. If improvement does not occur within half an hour, an ambulance should be called.
What should I do if I cut my finger and the blood stopped, but there is a suspicion of infection? If dirt got into the wound, and for some reason it was not possible to wash it, then it is imperative to contact a medical institution. It is highly likely that the doctor will vaccinate against tetanus to protect the patient from this dangerous infection.
Conclusion
The reader already knows how to stop blood from a finger. With a shallow cut, it is quite possible to do this at home. To do this, the first-aid kit should always have disinfectants, wound healing drugs, a bandage or adhesive plaster. However, it is important to remember that in severe cases, medical assistance is indispensable. Severe bleeding may require surgery for ligation of vessels and suturing.
