“I can heal my wounds myself.” In theory, it’s a nice idea. Instead of having to receive medical care from a professional, you heal your wounds on your own. Very often, however, it’s a bad idea. There is only so much that “over-the-counter” (OTC) wound care products can do. Unfortunately, these products can ultimately worsen your wounds instead of healing them. For the best possibility of lasting, effective wound healing, it’s worth reaching out to healthcare professionals. Here at West Coast Wound Care, we believe in holistic wound care. That means treating the wound as well as the entire person. Part of how we “treat a person” is by providing education and informational resources. We’ve found that the more someone knows about wound care the better a position they’ll be in to make the right decisions for their needs.
Antiseptics: What to Know
If you’re like so many, you may have seen “antibacterial” soap. In many cases, this is an “upsell,” a bit more expensive than a soap that is not antibacterial. This soap can clean your hands, yes, but it’s not necessarily all that good for wounds. In fact, if you put antiseptics on your wounds, not only will it fail to heal your wounds, it can genuinely harm them. See, these antiseptic products, in many cases, can be truly poisonous to the cells that are expected to do the wound repair work. This can seem counterintuitive. After all, so many see “antibacterial” soap and think some version of: “This seems like a better kind of soap. I certainly don’t want any bacteria in my wounds. So, I’ll clean my wounds with this soap.” Unfortunately, the opposite is true. This can inhibit your wound healing or even stop it completely.
Be Careful About Neosporin
Many safely use Neosporin to deal with day to day cuts or abrasions. It’s possible that, by doing so, you may be able to reduce the possibility of the wound getting infected. That said, Neosporin is not able to help with many different kinds of wounds. In fact, you specifically shouldn’t use Neosporin if, after you apply it to skin that is too dry, too cracked, burned severely, and the like. Neosporin, however, may not be as effective as simply cleaning a wound, and dressing it, all while keeping it moist and clean.
“When In Doubt, Call a Medical Professional”
That’s a good mantra for wound healing. If you aren’t 100% sure that you’re going to be able to treat your own wounds, then, it’s worth at least reaching out to a healthcare professional. Indeed, there are many circumstances where delaying getting medical treatment could worsen your injuries.
Say that you suffer a wound and it’s dry. Instead of contacting professionals, you decide to just put a bandage on it yourself. It’s dry, not really any fluid, so you don’t think much of it. Unfortunately, those are the wounds that often become scars. We can’t tell you how many folks have contacted us only after they tried to heal their own wounds, only to find that they had worsened. That’s the last thing you want.
Wound Healing Tailored to Your Needs
At West Coast Wound Care, that’s what we do: we care for our patients’ wounds. Through our holistic wound care, we treat the whole person in addition to the wound. Our experienced techs know how to put together a wound care treatment plan for you that won’t have the side effects so many over-the-counter medications might. To see how we can help, schedule an appointment today.