Wound Care

• High-Protein Foods for Wound Healing

  How does protein help with wound healing? Your body needs protein to help build and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues. Protein also helps fight infection, balance body fluids, and carry oxygen through your body. When you have a wound that's healing, think of food as medicine. Eat a balanced diet with enough...

• Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

  Learn how a negative pressure device helps heal your wound and what to expect when you take the device home.

• Taking Care of Stitches

  Learn how to care for your stitches to help them heal properly.

• Care for a Skin Wound

  Learn how to care for your cut or scrape so it will heal and won't get infected.

• Diabetes and Wound Care

  Learn the signs of infection with diabetes so that small skin problems don't become serious.

• Taking Care of Your Stitches or Staples

  Your wound will need care and observation. After the stitches or staples are put in, the area may be covered with a thin layer of ointment and covered with a nonstick bandage. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to care for your stitches or staples. Be sure to follow those instructions. Check with your...

• Cuts: When Stitches Are Needed

  It is important to determine if your wound needs to be closed by a doctor. Your risk of infection increases the longer the wound remains open. Most wounds that require closure should be stitched, stapled, or closed with skin adhesives (also called liquid stitches) within 6 to 8 hours after the injury. Some wounds that...

• How to Stop Bleeding From a Head Wound

  Minor cuts on the head often bleed heavily because the face and scalp have many blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. Although this amount of bleeding may be alarming, many times the injury is not severe and the bleeding will stop with treatment you can do at home. But it is important to know the difference...

• Removing an Object From a Wound

  In the following situations, do not try to remove an object from the wound. Seek medical treatment immediately. Do not remove an object that has punctured and penetrated the eyeball. Note: Do not bandage or put any pressure on the eye. If an object has penetrated the eyeball, hold the object in place to prevent...

• Jellyfish Sting: Home Treatment

  The rash and skin irritation that occurs with minor jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war stings will usually go away with home treatment. Seabather's eruption is a rash that develops from the stings of jellyfish or sea anemone larvae. Although these rashes are annoying, they are not a serious medical problem. When an...

• Skin Adhesives (Liquid Stitches)

  Skin adhesives are clear gels that may be used to hold the edges of a small cut together. Your doctor may apply a skin adhesive instead of stitching your cut. A liquid will be applied to your skin and allowed to dry. As it dries, it creates a film that will hold together the edges of your cut. If a skin adhesive is...

• Care for a Skin Wound

  Skin wounds, including animal or human bites, need thorough cleaning to reduce the risk of infection and scarring and to promote healing. You may be able to do this yourself for minor wounds. You'll have to stop any bleeding, clean the wound, and perhaps bandage the wound. Stop the bleeding Before you...

• Puncture Wounds: Stitches, Staples, and Skin Adhesives

  Puncture wounds are less likely than cuts to be stitched, stapled, or have a skin adhesive applied because: Puncture wounds tend to be smaller than cuts and usually do not heal better or scar less when stitched. Puncture wounds tend to be deeper, narrower, and harder to clean than cuts. Sealing bacteria into a wound...