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<h3>This might sound very silly but believe it or not, there are a lot of kids or teens that do not know what to do if they cut themselves or have a scrape or a scratch. Others know exactly what to do because they have encountered it many times before.</h3>
<p><img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44479.jpg" width="1920" height="1080"/></p>
<p><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44479.jpg">image source</a></p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with you if you do not know, maybe you never had to deal with it, but it is a good thing to know, so you can look after yourself or a smaller brother or sister and do not need to run to your mom or panick every time something like this happens.</p>
<p>You may think that a cut or a scrape is no big deal and will just leave it to heal by itself. Most of the time it will, since you are still young with a good immune system, but every time the skin gets broken, you can get an infection. </p>
<p>To make sure this does not happen, there are certain things you can do at home and also be aware when you will rather need a doctor.</p>
<p> <img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44480.png" width="220" height="229"/></p>
<p><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44480.png">image source</a></p>
<p>First of all it is a good thing to<strong> have a first aid kit</strong> in your house with basic medical supplies for the not so critical situations. Things like headache pills, plasters, ointment for cuts, something if you burn yourself, ear drops, nasal spray etc. To read more on this go to <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/990.aspx?categoryid=72">http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/990.aspx?categoryid=72</a></p>
<p>If you cut your finger, or the dog bites you or you fall off your bike, you will need to do the following (5 easy steps and you are good to go)</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>put a clean cloth on the cut</strong> and hold it there until the bleeding stops (do not use a dirty cloth - you know germs and all those things - I am sure you know that) Hold the cloth there quite a while, depending on how deep the cut is, it can take a while before the blood stops</li>
<li>you now have to <strong>clean the wound</strong> - you can let water run over the wound and then lightly wash it with soap - make sure you get all the dirt out. If pieces of dirt is stuck or it is too deep for you to get out you may want to go to the doctor</li>
<li><strong>dry the wound</strong> with a soft, clean cloth and cover it with a bandage or plaster. If you want, you can put some anti-septic ointment on the wound, to make sure that all germs are dead and there will be no infection</li>
<li>you can now <strong>take off the bandage every day</strong> and wash it again, re-apply ointment and check for any infections.</li>
<li>once a scab forms over the wound, try and <strong>refrain from picking at the scab</strong>, since this will leave a mark. The scab will fall off by itself if the wound is healed</li>
</ol>
<h2>Times you cannot be your own doctor - get the professional to help</h2>
<p><img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44483.jpg" width="994" height="506"/><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44483.jpg">image source</a></p>
<p><strong>Do not be stubborn</strong> and tell people you are OK and you will sort it out yourself if blood is pouring or spurting out of the wound and the bleeding does not want to stop. </p>
<p>Cover the wound with a cloth or bandage and ask somebody to take you to the doctor. If the blood starts coming through the cloth, do not remove it, pack it with more cloth and <strong>keep pressure on it</strong>.</p>
<p>If a cut is very deep and the edges are far apart from each other, the doctor or nurse will give you an injection to numb the area around the wound and you will have to get <strong>stitches</strong>. If you do get stitches you can take it out yourself after about 10 days, but it is always better to go back to the doctor that he can check and see if you need to keep the stitches in longer and that there is no infection present in the wound.</p>
<p><img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44484.jpg" width="1024" height="683"/></p>
<p><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44484.jpg">image source</a></p>
<p><strong>If you are badly hurt it can be necessary to undergo an operation</strong> and be stitched up. It is very important that you take good care of yourself and your injuries after your operation. </p>
<p>Depending on the type of wound you will have to take different care of it, but your doctor or nurse will inform you. You can also read here for extra information <a href="http://drstretch.net/post-op-wound-care/">http://drstretch.net/post-op-wound-care/</a></p>
<h2>Infection is not your friend</h2>
<p>If you see that a wound is getting infected, no matter how small the wound or how little the infection, you have to do something about it, before it get worse and the infection goes into your blood and spread through out your body.</p>
<p>Certain injuries, like if you are bitten by a dog, can lead to <strong>tetanus infection</strong> - the doctor will ask you when last you had a tetanus shot and if it is not up to date he/she will give you one.</p>
<p>Read more about the tetanus infection <a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/do_you_need_a_tetanus_shot/views.htm">http://www.medicinenet.com/do_you_need_a_tetanus_shot/views.htm</a></p>
<p><strong>If you notice the following things on your wound, you have to call the doctor</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>the<strong> redness</strong> around the wound is getting bigger</li>
<li>if their are <strong>yellow or green stuff</strong> coming from the wound</li>
<li>if you see <strong>red lines</strong> running from the wound</li>
<li>if you feel <strong>more pain</strong> around the wound or it swells more</li>
<li>if you start running a <strong>fever</strong></li>
</ol>
<p> <img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44485.jpg" width="275" height="183"/></p>
<p><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44485.jpg">image source</a></p>
<p>The doctor will prescribe some antibiotics to help your body fight off the infection. You can also try <strong>alternative or natural methods to fight the infection</strong> <a href="https://www.davidwolfe.com/10-natural-antibiotics/">https://www.davidwolfe.com/10-natural-antibiotics/ </a> </p>
<p> <img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44488.jpg" width="600" height="683"/></p>
<p><a href="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44488.jpg">image source</a></p>
<h3>Luckily most small cuts and scrapes go away by itself, because our body has a wonderful way of healing itself.</h3>
<p><img src="https://imgoat.com/uploads/c8349cc726/44491.gif" width="828" height="160"/></p>
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