Hand Surgery - Avoiding Major Surgery by Dealing With Hand Injuries the Right Way

Considering how often hands are used, it is important that you keep yours in good shape. Injuries can result in you needing hand surgery, putting you out of commission for quite some time. Even accidents that seem minor can cause major complications, so learning how to care for injuries correctly immediately after they occur is important.

Cuts to the hand might seem routine, but if they become infected, you might need medical care. Even if they don't, you could need care if it is a large cut that causes major blood loss. For any wound, the first thing is to apply pressure to reduce bleeding.

Once the bleeding stops wash away any dirt that might be present and cover it with a bandage or gauze depending on the size of the cut. If there is a nail, hook, or other foreign body in the wound, rather than try to get it out, get to the doctor.

If your wound involves the bone, such as a fracture, you will certainly need medical attention. If you can't get to a doctor immediately, you need to create a splint for the hand, and cover any exposed bone with gauze or even just a clean towel. If you apply ice to make the swelling and pain decrease, don't do it for any more than 20 minutes.

In most cases, if you don't seek professional care, your bones could grow back incorrectly. This is painful and takes time, so getting to a hospital is your best bet if you want to avoid major hand surgery down the road.

If your issue is a burn, you can treat it depending on the type. For a chemical or regular burn, you should put a lot of water on the affected area and then cover it until you can see a doctor as soon as possible. For frostbite, you should heat the area up with warm water, cover it, and then get to a doctor.

Clearly, the main point of each major injury is to seek medical attention when possible. If you have a minor cut, as long as you keep it clean to prevent infection, it can heal on its own.

For fractures, burns, or major cuts, you're better off going to a hospital or clinic. Prolonging care just might ensure a need for hand surgery in situations that don't normally call for it, just because the area got infected or healed incorrectly. In this case, you're better safe than sorry.