When you become injured and get wounded, here are four steps to follow:

• Clean the wounded area: In the instance of minor scratches or cuts, wash the space well using clear water and soap to remove the debris or dirt. If you see any foreign object like glass inside the wound, have it removed by a physician.
• Halt the bleeding: Wash your hands and apply pressure on your wound with the assistance of a bandage or clean cloth for around 10 to 20 minutes. It’ll put a stop to the bleeding.
• Put on an antiseptic: It is possible to apply any antiseptic cream like Betadine on the wound to prevent infection. You also may put on antibiotic cream.
• Pack your wound: Put on a sterile bandage over your wound. If your wound is big or deep, you might have to visit a physician to get the right dressing done. If the wound is extremely deep and large, your healthcare provider will manually close the wound by suturing.

In the instance of surgical wounds, you must wash the wound and change your dressing daily or as recommended by a doctor at an Orange County wound care center.

Which factors impact the healing process?

Not every wound heals at the same rate. Orange County wound care doctors will inform you that some factors impact how a wound heals:

• Age: The inflammatory reaction of the body usually reduces with aging. Orange County wound care providers will tell you that this might slow the wound healing process.
• Kind of wound: Longer and deeper wounds take time to heal. In addition, a contaminated or irregular wound might take longer to heal, compared to a clean-cut wound.
• Infection: The invasion of an open wound by microbes like bacteria delays the process of wound healing.
• Poor nutrition: A lack of proteins and additional dietary nutrients may delay the healing process.
• Skin moisture: Moisture surrounding the wound is a critical factor needed for the proliferative stage of wound healing. So, you should drink a lot of water during the process of healing that is going to hydrate the wound.
• Poor blood circulation: The blood supplies all of the essential nutrients to your wound that are needed for its healing, so poor blood circulation may cause a delay in wound healing.
• Orange County wound care providers will tell you that health issues like obesity and diabetes might put off the wound healing process.
• Specific medicine might impact wound healing.
• Stress might slow wound healing.
• Smoking might reduce blood flow, thereby slowing wound healing.

When to contact an Orange County wound care doctor for your wound

Contact a physician if you think the wound has become infected. Look for indications of infection:

• Fever
• Bleeding from the site of the wound that doesn’t stop even while applying pressure
• Pus that oozes from the wound
• Swelling, redness, warmth, or an increase in pain surrounding the wound

After getting the wound and following all of the wound care steps above, you should observe the wound for a couple of days until it completely heals.