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What helps cuts hea...
 

[Closed] What helps cuts heal?

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warm water with table salt works very well.


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 1:24 pm
 Drac
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[i]And it was used in Vietnam. [/i]

Yup is used for closing wounds but not what it was invented for. We use it and it works very well indeed.

[i]warm water with table salt works very well. [/i]

Care to explain why you think the salt adds any benefit?


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 1:34 pm
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Spider webs. Any pics?
I need a laugh as my previous employer is being a t*t and not giving a reference. 😡


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 4:38 pm
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So drac I take it salt has no benefit from your condescending reply. 🙂

I find it very effective on mouth ulcers, hurts like hell for a few seconds and after that any further pain seems trivial. Probably of no medical benefit but that applies to a great many drugs and procedures.


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 4:50 pm
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Sandwich - email me and I will give you a reference. What do you do?


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 6:25 pm
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Hia
Calendula
if painful, Hypericum and Calendula, sometimes labelled "HyperCal"
skins a graze over nice and fast so, it needs to be well clean

you can get the "mother tincture" [ooh madam] and make a liquid for bathing wounds.
It's homeopathic, where less really is more

google: "Ainsworth's Homeopathic Pharmacy" who also do some great stuff called "Injury", tablet form for pain/ bruising/ healing. I think you have to ask for it, I get the 200 quality.

n
n


 
Posted : 06/05/2009 6:31 pm
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Yup is used for closing wounds but not what it was invented for.

It was it's first PRACTICAL use, so it's just semantics now...


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 8:31 am
 Drac
Posts: 50663
 

[i]So drac I take it salt has no benefit from your condescending reply[/i]

None what so ever so just use normal water no need to suffer having salt in a wound.

[i]It was it's first PRACTICAL use, so it's just semantics now...[/i]

First after being a general adhesive.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 9:38 am
 DrJ
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[i]So you need superglue and a salivating dog? [/i]

Just be careful, or you will glue the dog to your tummy


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 9:40 am
 fbk
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It always amazes me how many people still think animal's saliva has healing properties. Why do you think so many dogs have a "lamp shade" round their necks after surgery etc - trust me, the last thing you want is a dog licking any wound you may have (for the previously mentioned legal reasons as well as medical in some caes 🙂 ).

Oh, and salt does seem to help if there's any infection/discharge.

Anyone got 2p for me?


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 9:58 am
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Vasaline appears to be winning at the moment.

I am applying each one twice a day and it looks like the vasaline end of the cut is healing better. I will give it a couple more days for conclusive results.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 11:21 am
 Drac
Posts: 50663
 

[i]Oh, and salt does seem to help if there's any infection/discharge.[/i]

Might seem to but it doesn't.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 11:30 am
 fbk
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Might seem to but it doesn't.

Care to elaborate?

The theory behind using it seems sound and even if it "seems" to help, that keeps my patients happy and involves zero expense, which is the important thing.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 11:39 am
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The theory doesn't seem sound when you give it more than a cursory glance.
For any cut or abrasion to heal, new tissue has to grow into the gap created. That new tissue grows as cells are brought to the damaged area in tissue fluid; the exudate from the wound. Providing an environment where that tissue fluid and those cells can do their job is the quickest way to promote healing, hence the use of dressings that keep the area moist and undisturbed.
Also included in that tissue fluid are white blood cells which mop up any bugs that are around, reducing infection.
Sluicing the area down with any fluid other than something neutral like water will only disturb the delicate process of healing, washing away the new cells and spoiling the local environment, so the process has to begin all over again.

Salt water may help to reduce the bacterial load, but in doing so it also messes up the healing process.

Tis old wives tale, nothing more, and that's why we don't do it in hospitals anymore.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 11:58 am
 fbk
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I guess things are a little different in human medicine.

Agreed, you don't want to disturb the normal cellular migration/WBC activity but when you've got a wound full of poo, saliva (bacteria) and pus, salt water does a nice job of cleaning, debriding (gently) and drawing out any purulent exudate. The benifits over normal water are possibly marginal but it "seems" to work better imho. And adding a little salt makes water no less "neutral" or abrasive.

Modern dressings are always going to work better, providing your patient doesn't chew/scratch them off and can afford the expense (god bless the NHS)

This doesn't help the OP though I suppose 🙂


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 12:46 pm
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Piss and vinegar is the best antiseptic. (Well, it's what I seem to use for most situations and I haven't died yet, so...)


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 12:56 pm
 Drac
Posts: 50663
 

Care to elaborate?

No only thing working is the fact that your cleaning the wound, there is no benefit by adding salt.

The theory behind using it seems sound and even if it "seems" to help, that keeps my patients happy and involves zero expense, which is the important thing.

But plain water does just that and without the cost of adding salt.

Crikey goes on to explain it in more detail but basically that's the reason.


 
Posted : 07/05/2009 1:00 pm
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