While accidents happen all of the time, they aren’t always major. That said, there are many common reasons accident attorneys won’t take a case, even if it’s only a minor accident. Whether you suffered a minor accident at work, home, or anywhere else, you need to know how to treat those injuries. You’ll find some information on how to handle a few of these minor ailments below.
Small Cuts and Scrapes
Small cuts and scrapes are probably the second most common injury you’ll get. A small slip of a knife, a fall in the right location or even dry skin coming into contact with the edge of a piece of paper can all result in a minor scrape or cut.
When you get one, make sure everything you’re going to use to treat it is clean, hands included. Wear gloves if you have to. Once the tools are clean, wash the new wound to prevent it from getting infected. This is especially important if the cause was something that could still be on your skin such as glass because that needs to be removed as fast as possible so you aren’t hurt again.
Gently apply pressure with a clean cloth of some kind to the now clean area so you can stop the bleeding. The next step from here will vary based on your own personal preference and the size of the cut. Small ones that are barely visible can probably just be covered by a bandage until it’s healed.
Ones that are a bit larger or in a particularly bad place need to be covered in petroleum jelly or some other medication to help it heal faster before the bandage is applied. All you have to do from here is occasionally reapply the medicine or bandage and wait until it’s fully healed.
Bruises
Bruises are the most common minor injury because of how easy they are to get. Simply walking into something like a wall or door is enough to possibly leave you with a bruise. Luckily, it’s really easy to know how bad a bruise is; all you have to do is look at its size, location and color.
A large, dark bruise in a sensitive area should at least be looked at by a medical professional to ensure that the bruise doesn’t go too deep and that there’s no underlying issue. Small, light bruises will typically go away on their own in a few days but can be sensitive especially if they’re in an area that is easy to bump, such as the arm or leg.
Warm or cold compresses and elevating the affected spot are a few of the easiest ways to help clear a bruise and hopefully make it less sensitive.
Minor Burns
Burns can be serious, of course, but the ones you’ll be trying to ease with these tips will be small ones gained from something like touching a hot pan or stove on accident.
To treat a minor burn, start by cooling it down. This can be done with either cool water or a rag soaked in cool water. As the pain begins to ease and the burn cools, remove any piece of jewelry or tight items nearby, like rings or bracelets because the burned area may swell and these items could create a whole host of new issues if left alone.
Carefully apply lotion to the burn to keep the area hydrated as this will allow for better healing. From here, you can loosely cover it with a bandage and take an over-the-counter pain medication if necessary. Once this is all done, all you can do is wait.
Sinus Pressure
A lot of things can cause sinus pressure, from allergies to colds, but the result is typically the same: tightness and pain in your face, headaches, dizziness and more. It can even make your jaw hurt. The first step to dealing with sinus pressure is realizing that that is the cause of your problems.
One of the ways you can do this is to massage pressure points like your temples and the sides of the bridge of your nose. If this helps, then you may need to start drinking more water and taking a sinus medicine. The medicine will decongest your sinus cavities and allow them to drain properly. This can lead to coughing, a runny nose and even the feeling of something in your throat caused by post-nasal drip.
While it may seem like the medicine isn’t helping at first since these symptoms will get worse, it will relieve the pressure in your face and head over time which will cause these other symptoms to fade as well. Steam from a warm shower or humidifier and elevating your head when you sleep can also help ease sinus pressure.
