How to Stop a Wound from Bleeding?

One can easily get wounded in a dozen different ways. Wounds can range from cut to scrapes to major injuries.

This is why it is good to know how to stop a wound from bleeding. It is quite frightening to see a bleeding wound especially when the bleeding does not stop right away.

The following tips should be followed to stop bleeding and to avoid infection, swelling and other discomfort from a wound.

The first thing to do when trying to stop a wound from bleeding is to apply pressure with a clean paper towel, gauze pads or some other clean, absorbent material.

Next the wound should be elevated above the level of the bleeding person’s heart. This can include sitting down or lying down or placing pillows under the person’s leg or lower part of the torso.

If you see that the bleeding is not stopping even after a few minutes of pressure then get an ice pack a bag with ice cubes and apply the ice over the paper towel or gauze that you have placed on the wound for pressure and absorbing blood.

The cold affect helps constrict blood vessels and slows down bleeding. Take care not to discontinue applying pressure to the wound and keep the wound elevated.

A bleeding wound should slow down or stop bleeding in about ten minutes. A maximum of fifteen minutes is what it usually takes for bleeding to stop completely, so don’t worry.

You should not worry as long as the situation is improving. However, if the wound is bleeding profusely or blood is coming out in spurts it should be considered as a medical emergency and appropriate action should be taken.

After the bleeding stops the wound should be washed with an anti-bacterial soap. This should be done for two full minutes at least.

After cleaning with soap the wound needs to be flushed for two more minutes so as to remove the bacteria and soap. Animal bite wounds or puncture wound need to be flushed for at least five minutes.

Next the wound should be pat dried with a clean paper towel or gauze pad. Avoid using towels.

After this pour an antiseptic solution over the wound with a sterile gauze pad.

Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage the wound. To bandage the wound you could use band-aid, gauze pad or rolled gauze. Take care to a void touching the portion of sterile bandage that will come in direct contact with the wound.

Alice Merry - About Author:
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Article Source:
http://www.articleside.com/health-articles/how-to-stop-a-wound-from-bleeding.htm

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