How to Treat a Minor Wound

Now that you have seen my mom’s spider bite wound (see my article called “Itsy Bitsy Spider Bite” for a picture of it – it’s pretty cool!), we can discuss how to take care of the site. 

This topic came up because my mom was curious as to how she should clean her wound.  At first, she was scrubbing it – not a good thing to do because the site became more irritated.  After we had a discussion on how to take care of the bite, she was much more comfortable. 

This is what I told her:

The goal behind caring for a wound is to help it heal and to keep it from getting infected (the infection part was a little too late for my mom!). 

There are 3 steps involved in how you should treat a minor wound:

1.     Clean the wound.

2.     Apply an OTC antibiotic ointment/cream and a first-aid antiseptic solution (antiseptics are sometimes optional).     

3.     Use an appropriate dressing to cover the site.

To clean your wound, the best thing to use is a normal saline (sodium chloride 0.9%) solution.  You can simply pour it over the wound or use a blue bulb (most commonly found in the baby section of a store) for gentle cleansing.  Wound Wash Saline is a normal saline spray that comes in a can and is used to clean wounds (it is found in most drugstores).

This is what the can of Wound Wash Saline looks like!

First-aid antiseptics are substances that should be applied only to the unbroken skin surrounding the wound (you can apply it up to the edges of the wound).  The purpose of using an antiseptic is to prevent infection of the area around the site.  In order for the antiseptic solution to work best, you must clean the skin well (i.e. remove any blood, pus, etc. from the area). 

Some examples of first-aid antiseptics that are recommended are Bactine Spray, Betadine Skin Cleanser Liquid, and Isopropyl Alcohol.  Remember, DO NOT put this on open wounds – use these solutions only on unbroken skin around the wound! 

NOTE: Hydrogen Peroxide is the most popular antiseptic solution, but it offers little help to the unbroken skin surrounding a wound.       

First-aid antibiotics are put directly on the wound and they help to keep the wound from being infected.  If your wound does not seem to be healing within 5 days of using an OTC antibiotic ointment, you should see your doctor.  Long-drawn-out use of these products may lead to a fungal infection, which can slow healing.

Some first-aid OTC antibiotic products that work well are Neosporin, Mycitracin, and Polysporin Ointments. 

As far as wound dressing goes, you want to use something that will keep the wound site moist.  Make sure the dressing is the right size and can fit well on the area of the body where the wound is located.  Believe it or not, gauze is not always the best option for open wounds because it can dehydrate wounds and tear away new skin upon removal, which delays healing and can lead to scarring. 

NOTE: The information in this article is for taking care of minor wounds.  If you have a chronic wound (it has been around for a while), a serious laceration (a cut caused by a sharp object), or a puncture (a deep wound caused by a sharp object), you should see your doctor.

There you go…that’s my blurb on wound care!  I have some more information on this topic, but I am going to let you take in what you just read and give you extra stuff to ponder a little later. 

Hit me up with an e-mail at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com or leave a comment on this article if you have some questions for me. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to our site using the wicked easy form below.  You will not regret becoming a member!