Home Treatment For Cuts

Most of cuts (laceration) affect only the skin and the fatty tissue beneath it and heal without permanent damage. however, injury to internal structures such as muscles, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments, or nerves can bring permanent damage. your doctor can now decrease this chance. these are the signs that normally call for a cut to be examined by a doctor:
--Bleeding that you can't control with pressure- this is an emergency
--Numbness or weakness in the limb beyond the wound
--Inability to move fingers or toes. Signs of infection- such as pus oozing from the wound, fever, or extensive redness and swelling- won't appear for at least 24 hours. bacteria need time to grow and multiply. if these signs do appear, you must consult a doctor.

Stitches
The only purpose of stitching (suturing) a wound is to pull the edges together to hasten healing and minimize scarring. stitches injure tissue to some extend, so they aren't recommended if the wound can be held closed without them. stitching should be done within 8 hours of the injury. otherwise, the edges of the wound are less likely to heal together and germs are more likely to be trapped under the skin. stitching is often required in young children who are apt to pull off bandages, or in the areas that are subject to a great deal of motion, such as the fingers or joints.

Difficult Cuts
Unless the cut is very small or shallow, call your doctor about cuts in these areas:
-- on the chest, abdomen, or back
-- on the face- facial wounds can be disfiguring
-- on the palm- hand wounds can be difficult to treat if they become infected

Home Treatment:
Cleanse the wound. soap and water will do, but be vigorous. you may also need 3% hydrogen peroxide or a commercial antiseptic such as merthiolate. you make it sure that there"s no dirt, glass, or other foreign material remains in the wound.
The edges of a clean, minor cut can usually be held together by "butterfly" bandages or, preferably, by "steristrips" - strips of sterile paper tape. apply either of these bandages so that the edges of the wound join without "rolling under".
See a doctor if the edges of the wounds can't be kept together, if signs of infection appear (pus, fever, extensive redness and swelling), or if the cut's isn't healing well within two weeks.