Injuries lie in wait for us everywhere: at home, at work, in the gym. One of the most common injuries is a finger bruise. Moreover, both upper limbs and lower limbs are equally exposed to danger. Only one thing can be said with certainty: any injury should not be left without attention. Everyone should know how to provide first aid in case of injury. Of course, if possible, it is better to immediately contact a traumatologist in order to avoid complications. But if the injury is minor, it can be cured at home with the help of folk remedies.
What causes damage?
Every day, every person performs a huge number of actions, and most of them can lead to a bruised finger. Quite often, an injury occurs due to a blow to a blunt object or its fall on the phalanges, even from a small height. A characteristic sign of mild damage is the preservation of the integrity of the skin, the absence of wounds on it.
Literally anything can happen in everyday life:
- A heavy object fell on my fingers. This situation (depending on the circumstances) can lead to a fracture.
- Hit the door frame. Such injuries are typical foryoung children who often run at breakneck speed without noticing obstacles.
- Item falling on hand.
Bruise of the finger on the hand can be determined by external signs. But if you are not sure, it is better to consult a traumatologist for an accurate diagnosis. The severity of the damage depends on where it was hit.
Signs of a finger injury
As already noted, a bruise is characterized by damage to soft tissues without violating the integrity of the skin. However, if the injury is severe, the tendons and muscles can rupture. Wounds of the joints of the hands have certain signs, which we will now consider:
- injury site flashes with sharp pain;
- characterized by the appearance of a tumor on the finger, as well as difficulty in bending;
- redness of the focus occurs, sometimes small abrasions can be observed;
- the nail often turns black from a bruise and exfoliates, the entire damaged area goes numb, the level of motor activity decreases.
If the blow on the finger turned out to be very strong, then bleeding, a crack, a closed or open fracture is possible. No need to write off the bruise. If you find severe ongoing pain, you should immediately contact a specialist, because this is the first sign of a fracture.
Symptoms of a toe injury
In principle, there are no striking differences. It is worth noting that bruises of the thumb and little finger are the most common. Among the main symptoms are sharp pain, redness and swelling, feverarea of the wound due to a rush of blood. Hematoma under the nail is a common thing. Its appearance characterizes a rush of blood, followed by darkening. With strong blows, the nail may crack and fly off.
How to distinguish a bruised toe from a dislocation? There are several easy ways. Firstly, with a minor injury, the pain will gradually subside, the most unpleasant sensation lasts for twenty minutes. The functionality of the finger is not disturbed, there is practically no discomfort during walking, which cannot be said about a fracture. Then, most likely, you will not be able to move your finger. As for the hematoma and swelling, they appear in both cases. The only difference is that with a fracture, edema occurs immediately and does not go away for a long time. If it is a bruise, then the hematoma will be detected after some time. You can try to feel the injury, the continuity of the bone directly indicates minor damage.
Most common injury
The thumb, due to the structure of the bone, is the most vulnerable to a variety of sprains and shocks. Most of the victims are men, this is mainly due to professional activities. A bruised finger on the hand is considered a painful injury. It can be cured pretty quickly if done right.
Injury to the thumb, unlike the other four, is the most painful. But the treatments remain the same. Unpleasant sensations in the bruised area will remain for about a few weeks, but then it will be possible to forgetit's like a bad dream.
Minor Damage Classification
There are four types of finger bruises, depending on the severity of the consequences:
- Minor injury. The appearance of redness, small scratches is characteristic. Pain subsides within minutes, no medical attention required.
- Sharp pain that passes quickly. On impact, the capillaries are damaged, resulting in hematoma and swelling.
- A strong blow against a blunt object. Significant damage to muscle tissue and blood vessels is observed, a large blue hematoma is found. For some time, the site of the injury swells up. A severe bruised finger may be accompanied by a dislocation.
- Violation of motor activity. Severe swelling, cracked bones, joint damage. There is also a rupture of the tendons and the nail plate.
First aid
Often we can hear the question: "I hurt my finger, what should I do?" The first step is to provide first aid. If the pain is very severe, it is better to send the patient to a doctor, and before that, a number of actions should be taken:
- The first step is to cool the injury. There are two ways to do this: apply a cold compress or put your finger under ice water.
- If there is blood, you need to make a hemostatic bandage and apply to the wound.
- When the damage is not visible, it does not hurt to apply an iodine grid. This way you can protect the wound from infection.
- In severe situations, pain medication should be given.
- Bcompletion, it is necessary to put a tight bandage on the finger and send the victim to the traumatologist.
First aid is very important to avoid serious consequences and speed up the healing process. Note. If a man bruises or a woman bruises her finger badly, in no case should it be completely immobilized, as this will lead to stagnation and the appearance of a tumor.
Injury treatment
Traumatologist on the basis of x-rays can conclude the severity of the injury. If there is no severe damage, then plaster is not necessary. A bruised finger in most cases is treated at home. Required:
- take painkillers if needed;
- perform physiological procedures;
- apply creams, ointments with a regenerating effect.
If the damage is serious, as a result of which the nail plate came off, the doctor will also prescribe antibacterial drugs. Ligament rupture means surgery, because they need to be stitched.
Folk Therapy
After visiting your doctor, you should start treatment. It is better for a traumatologist to clarify with what methods of traditional medicine therapy should be carried out. You can quickly cure a bruised finger with Vishnevsky ointment. This remedy perfectly relieves swelling, and if you apply the ointment to the damaged area and cover with a bandage, then after a few hours you can see the first result.
The following remedies are also very effective in treatment:
- Cabbage. Attach the sheet to the injury and secure with a bandage. It is recommended to change the bandage every half an hour, it perfectly relieves inflammation and swelling.
- Bodyaga. Pharmacies sell ready-made ointment of the desired consistency. To simplify your task, you can simply apply the product to the site of injury and cover with a bandage, change about twice a day.
- Potatoes. It should be boiled in uniform, knead and apply this gruel to the injured area. This compress can be changed an unlimited number of times, it perfectly relieves pain and reduces bruising.
- Onion. The best remedy for infections. It must be crushed with a blender, moisten the bandage in the resulting slurry and apply to the bruised finger. Change the bandage twice a day: morning and evening.
- Honey, vinegar and oil. Mix all ingredients, moisten gauze and wrap your finger. A good remedy for removing swelling and eliminating hemorrhage.
Information about the treatment of a bruise will help not only you in a similar situation, but also your loved ones. The ability to provide first aid is priceless, because in this way you can even save a person's life.
Possible Complications
Injuries to the phalanges of the fingers, especially in children, do not go unnoticed. Of course, this depends on the nature and severity of the injury. A small bruise is unlikely to remind of itself after a few years, which cannot be said about more serious injuries.
Human soft tissues are quite capricious. When an injury occurs, changes can occur in them that will lead tocomplications. Often they do not appear immediately, but some time after the bruise. Remember that if you do not treat the damage, then recovery will take a very long time. It is better to take all the advice and get rid of pain in the finger with the help of medication and folk methods.
Prevention
To manage to get injured, it is not at all necessary to engage in hard physical labor. If a woman hurt her finger on her hand, there will be a lot of screaming. Men prefer to hide their emotions and try to forget about the trauma. This is not necessary, because, as we said above, complications are possible.
You can hit your finger anywhere and anytime, it is almost impossible to predict this event. You should take better care of yourself, behave more carefully when playing sports. Separately, it is worth mentioning the ice. You need to be very careful when walking on ice, because as a result of a fall, a bruised finger will be the most harmless injury. A minor injury is better than a broken leg or arm.
No matter how hard we try to protect ourselves from injury, it happens. The main thing is not to hesitate in providing first aid, and then take all possible measures to restore the functionality of the damaged limb. Only careful attention to one's he alth can minimize injuries and bruises.
