Did you know that every year, 39.5 million people visit their doctor’s office for unintentional injuries? Another 24.5 million go to the emergency room instead.
While bleeding from an injury can seem scary at first, you need to take a deep breath and clear your mind. In many cases, you can actually stop bleeding right at home so you won’t have to make a trip out.
It’s always a good idea to know what to do in case of an emergency. That way, you can keep calm better and take quick action.
In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to do to stop bleeding quickly.
How Long Should I Bleed For?
Before we tackle how to stop bleeding, let’s first discuss the average times for bleeding so you know how to assess the situation better.
In general, a minor cut should only bleed for 10 to 15 minutes (with measures taken, which we’ll discuss later). If the flow of blood won’t stop after that short period of time, you might want to consider getting medical attention. This is because you might need stitches for your wound, which medical professionals can assist you with.
Now that you know when you should go to the emergency room, let’s move on with how to stop minor bleeding so you can take care of little bumps and scratches at home.
Apply Pressure
One of the best and most effective ways to stop minor bleeding is to apply pressure at the site. This promotes clotting, which means that if you have consistent pressure on the wound, you can slow the blood flow and decrease bleeding. In some cases, this can even stop it completely!
Make sure you do this with clean hands that have been washed. You should also avoid applying pressure directly with your hands.
Instead, get some cloth or gauze. This can help soak up the blood and also promote clotting.
Should the bleeding be heavy enough to soak through the cloth or gauze, don’t remove it. This will just reopen the wound and cause heavier bleeding again.
What you should do is get another cloth or gauze on top. Repeat if necessary.
Elevate the Body Part
If possible, you should also elevate the body part while applying pressure. What you’re doing here is using gravity to your advantage.
Let’s say your finger’s bleeding. You’d apply pressure on your finger, plus raise it above your head. This makes it much harder for your heart to pump blood up your arm and into your finger, which can slow the bleeding significantly.
Apply Wound Sealing Powder
This is a very good product to have in your first aid kit since it can help not just minor cuts, but even more major ones that might need stitches later on. It can be a lifesaving thing to have, so if you don’t already have it, you should get some wound sealing powder.
When you get injured, all you have to do is take the powder, apply it directly to the site, and apply pressure for 30 seconds. After that, you’ll have what’s basically an instant scab.
This product is hypoallergenic and safe to use for people who bleed easily and/or are on blood-thinning medications. Plus, it fast-acting, so it’s an asset to any first aid kit.
Only Tourniquet if Necessary
In movies, you might’ve seen people take off their belts and tie them around the affected body part to stop bleeding. It’s true that this is effective, since it drastically slows down blood flow, which then stops bleeding almost immediately.
However, a lot of people don’t use tourniquets correctly. They restrict blood flow to everything downstream, so if you don’t get tourniquets off in a timely fashion, this can actually cause further health issues.
So if there’s heavy bleeding and nothing you’re doing is stopping it effectively, only then should you consider a tourniquet. And if you apply one, be mindful of when you did this so you know when to get it off.
What to Do Afterward
Once you’ve got the bleeding under control, try to clean the area gently with soap and warm water for about 5 minutes. Make sure you take care to rinse out all the soap since it can irritate the wound if it’s left in. You’ll also want to try to rinse out all the debris.
Make sure you don’t use iodine, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol of any kind to clean the wound! All of these can actually damage the tissue.
If needed, either call 911 or get the person to the hospital for medical attention. Here are some signs you need it:
- The bleeding won’t stop
- The area feels numb
- There are red streaks around the area
- Dirt and debris won’t come out of the wound
- There’s tenderness and thick discharge
- The person has a fever
- The person’s been bitten (by either a human or an animal)
If you’re ever in doubt, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry. Get a medical professional’s opinion for some peace of mind. They can also recommend the best course of action moving forward.
Know How to Stop Bleeding Effectively
Sustaining an injury can be a scary situation. But if you know how to handle it and stop bleeding quickly, you can take control of the situation and lessen your stress.
So take this newfound knowledge and apply it to the next injury you or a loved one gets. And also share this information so they can also help themselves and others should they find themselves in an emergency situation.
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