How to Treat a Scrape
A scrape or abrasion is an injury to the surface of the skin. Though it may look like a simple wound, it’s very important to treat abrasions properly. An open wound serves as an entry way for bacteria to your body. Here are some simple ways to treat a scrape.
Things You’ll Need:
An irrigating solution
Water
Antibacterial soap
Bandage
Antiseptic ointment like Povidone Iodine
Antibiotic ointment
Steps:
The 3 basic steps you have to remember when treating any type of wounds are wash, treat and cover.
Wash
Wash your hands before treating the wound. You don’t want to cause more harm by transferring dirt and bacteria from your hands to the wound.
Irrigate the wound. In hospitals, they use various solutions, like normal saline. At home, you can use ordinary water as your irrigating solution. Place the injured body part under running water and wash the area with an antibacterial soap.
You can also buy an antiseptic solution and pour a small amount on the wound.
Treat
After cleaning the wound and the area surrounding it, apply an antibiotic ointment. This will help prevent wound infection.
There are various antibiotic treatments on the market. If you’re buying one that’s packed in a tube, remember not to let the tip of the tube touch the already cleaned scrape.
There are also bandages that have antibiotics in them. These are also good to use.
Cover
Once you’ve cleaned and treated the scrape, it’s important for you to prevent it from getting injured again.
Wait until the medication you applied on the scrape dries.
Use a sterile gauze to cover the wound.
The main thing to remember when protecting a wound is to keep it covered and moist. You don’t want scabs to form because it’ll lead to scars.
The presence of scabs will prevent the new cells from properly healing the wound. This is the reason for the appearance of scars.
Replace gauze everyday when you take a bath or whenever necessary. Make sure that the gauze is always clean.
Proper care for scrapes and other types of wound is needed to prevent infection and other complications. Never forget to wash your hands every time you clean wounds. Frequently assess the wound for inflammation and redness. These are some of the warning signs of infection.