You get a new knife set over the weekend and feel no less than a Michelin chef, showing off your chopping skills. But the overenthusiastic inner child of yours gets a little reckless, and you end up with a big nick on your thumb.
Nicks and cuts are fairly common. You can get one while cooking dinner, taming the shrubs in your garden or working on an art or home redecorating project. Small wounds and lacerations are also common among biking, hiking, and other sports enthusiasts.
Cuts and wounds of such nature are nothing serious and tend to stop bleeding and heal up on their own. But it’s important to take care of them and clean them thoroughly so that they don’t develop into an infection.
Read on to learn the basic first aid for minor cuts and wounds, and also some home remedies to stop bleeding from cuts and wounds.
Contents
Basic First Aid: 3 Easy Steps
Before proceeding with any home remedies, it is important to administer first aid on the cut or wound. If the cut is not too deep, cleaning it thoroughly and applying pressure on the wound should stop the bleeding in less than a minute. (1)
Here are the three basic steps of first aid.
Step 1. Apply direct pressure on the cut
- With clean hands, apply direct pressure on the bleeding cut for 10 minutes. It’s even better if you can place a clean cloth, paper towel or piece of gauze over the wound and then apply pressure to stop the bleeding.
- For those that bleed more easily should hold firm pressure on the wound for 20-30 minutes without lifting or peaking at the site during the firm pressure.
Step 2. Clean the wound with water
- Rinse the wound with clean water to wash away any dirt or impurities. (1)
Step 3. Place an ice cube over the cut to reduce bleeding and seal the wound
- Place an ice cube over the cut to constrict the blood vessels and reduce the bleeding. This will also give time for the blood to coagulate and seal the wound.
Don't got get to call the doctor if the bleeding does not stop or if the wound is deep.
Resources:
- Cuts and grazes. NHS Choices. http://hereforyouhampshire.nhs.uk/CutsAndGrazes.html.
- Ojeh N, Stojadinovic O, Pastar I, Sawaya A, Yin N, Tomic-Canic M. The effects of caffeine on wound healing. International wound journal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25041108. Published October 2016.
- Ranzato E, Martinotti S, Burlando B. Honey exposure stimulates wound repair of human dermal fibroblasts. Burns & trauma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4994496/. Published June 18, 2013.