How to Cure a Wound

You can treat most minor wounds yourself. Keeping a wound clean and applying an antibiotic ointment will help it heal quickly and without problems.

Things You'll Need

• Saline wound wash
• Triple antibiotic ointment
• Adhesive bandages
• Liquid bandage

Instructions

1. Rinse the wound thoroughly with saline wound wash.

2. If the wound is still raw, leave it exposed to the air long enough to dry and for a scab to begin to form.

3. Apply triple antibiotic ointment to the wound. Be careful not to get it on the area around the wound, as that would keep a bandage from sticking.

4. Apply an adhesive bandage large enough so the non-sticky pad covers the entire wound. If the bandage adheres to the actual wound, you will irritate the wound when you remove it.

5. Repeat this process daily.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are can't leave your wound exposed long enough for it to dry and start scabbing, consider using a liquid bandage. It allows the wound to breathe, while still protecting it from infection-causing bacteria. If you're going to use a liquid bandage, do not use triple antibiotic ointment, because that would keep it from adhering.

• Certain types of wounds should be treated by a health care professional, including animal bites, gun or puncture wounds, and those that bleed profusely for an extended amount of time. If you treat a wound yourself and it continues to get worse, discontinue use of antibiotic ointment and bandages and contact your health-care provider.

References

• Strength for Caring

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish