Steps To Hygienically Heal An Infected Wound

Throughout our lives, we have all suffered some type of injury of greater or lesser severity. In such cases, how to approach the problem becomes very important ; that is to say, the attention and cares put in to achieve the cure. Therefore, below we will tell you what are the steps to heal an infected wound in a hygienic way.

“The wounds can be produced by external agents (knives, glass, cans, wires, etc.) or internal agents (fractured bone)” explains Dr. Funes Rivera. It also indicates that when a wound is not cared for in the correct way or is simply not given the necessary attention, it is very possible to become infected and the problem worsens.

On the other hand, if the wound has already been infected, it will be essential to clean it. Do you want to know more about it? In that case, do not stop reading everything that we are going to tell you below.

How to care for a wound?

Any open wound is susceptible to infection, if left unchecked it can spread to the surrounding skin, causing various complications.

If you have injured yourself, be it from a cut, tear, bruise or burn, it is very important that you follow these steps:

• Observe the wound carefully, in this way you will know its level of severity.
• Wash the wound with soap and warm water to remove any dirt it may have. If the water is not able to remove all the debris inside the wound, it will be necessary to use forceps.
• Avoid any infection by using topical antibiotic cream for at least a day.
• Cover the wound with a bandage, this way you can keep it clean and without risk of infection.
• Watch the wound as it evolves to make sure it doesn’t get infected.

Finally, to determine that you have not been infected:

• It will be painless to the touch.
• You will have no signs of inflammation.
• It will have a normal temperature, neither high nor low.

• Its color will be rosy and will lighten over time.

How do you know if the wound is infected?

If you are not sure you have an infected wound, you can tell with any of these signs:

• Pus discharge.
• Bad smell and appearance.
• Absence of signs of scarring.
• Local or general fever, accompanied by continuous redness of the area, swelling at the edges and tenderness
• Persistent pain, even with gentle movements. In extreme cases, stinging sensations can be detected.

With these signs we can be sure that the area is infected by a pathogen, and we must treat it very carefully before it worsens.

How to heal an infected wound?

If the wound has several or all of the above symptoms, it  is essential that you start treating it immediately by following the following steps that we are going to detail below.

1. Disinfect the wound

It is the first thing we must do, because an infected wound can never heal. In order to do so we have to:

• Wash the wound with saline solution and neutral soap, these two products will disinfect the wound and regulate the pH of the area.
• Dry with a sterile gauze, this way you will avoid any bacteria that exist on the towel or napkin.

When you do this, you should make sure to remove all the discharge or dirt that is in the wound and leave it completely clean.

2. Apply an antibiotic medicine

After drying the infected wound, you should find an antibiotic ointment and apply it to the affected area. This should be done between 2 and 3 times a day, washing the wound each time you go to apply the ointment. This process should take at least 5 days to ensure that the infection is completely eliminated and the healing process accelerated.

3. Protect the wound

You will need to protect the wound under a bandage, thus avoiding contamination or a new infection in the area. For this we recommend sterile gauze pads.

4. Keep the wound supervised

Finally, it is vitally important to keep the wound supervised and monitor its progress. In case of not observing any improvement, it is necessary that you go to your trusted medical center, where they will measure the degree of infection of the wound and will prescribe the appropriate medications for its healing.

If you have doubts about how to deal with an infected wound, it is best to seek medical attention (by phone, if it is more comfortable for you) and follow the steps indicated by the professionals. On the other hand, under no circumstances use natural ointments or other products that you have on hand that are not specifically indicated for the treatment of wounds, as this could be counterproductive. Also do not apply expired medications.