Dealing With Wounds, Jacob Staples [graded readers .txt] 📗

The time-honoured trick of squeezing the middle of your nose can help, as can xylometazoline-based nasal sprays such as Otrivine. These can help stem the bleeding because they cause blood vessels to contract. Under no circumstances should you tilt your head back, as swallowing blood will trigger feelings of nausea. You can also try sliding a small sanitary pad along the roof of your mouth to the back - but not all the way. If the nosebleed is very heavy, you should see an ear, nose and throat specialist. They will stem the flow using bipolar forceps or a laser.

 A haematoma occurs when an impact tears the smallest blood vessels. Blood leaking into the tissue causes a bruise to develop. The first action is to cool it down. Then, depending on the size of the bruise, and how painful it is, you may need to see a doctor - especially if you are a sportsperson. Extreme cases could see you having a heparin injection, which thins the blood and shrinks the bruise. Prior to seeing a doctor, general advice is to avoid putting weight on the affected area if tendons or bones have been injured.

Lacerations to the eyebrow are a common feature of boxing. The rules stipulate that the fight must be stopped when one of the boxers starts bleeding. A ”cutman” in the fighters corner then tries to stop the bleeding - and only has a minute to do so. First he dabs on an ointment that mostly contains andrenaline. This makes the blood vessels contract. Then he reaches for an ice cold piece of iron from a cooler and presses it against the cut. If that doesn’t work, he can apply wound superglue, if the boxer needs stitches, the referee has to stop the fight. 

 It used to be thought that wounds healed best when exposed to air, but that thinking has now been turned on its head. Nowadays, a moist environment is created so a scab doesn’t form. First, clean the injured area with psychological saline solution or lukewarm water. After disinfecting the wound, cover it with a dressing such as a hydrocolloid plaster. Check the patients vaccination history to see if they’re protected against tetanus.

Bleeding gums is an inflammatory response to bacterial plaque. If you brush properly, your gums won’t bleed. Your dentist can tell you in which order surfaces need to be brushed and what technique or instruments you should use. Gaps between the teeth can be cleaned using floss or interdential toothbrushes. 

 A bandage with a sterile dressing will usually suffice. If you’re unable to stem the bleeding, make a pressure bandage using a handkerchief. If your child has a deep gash on their head, take them to hospital as soon as possible to rule out concussion. As a painless alternative to stitches, in some cases a special wound superglue can be used.

Publication Date: 01-11-2019

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