Post by JennieRose on Mar 24, 2015 12:27:17 GMT
Garden injuries
Garden injuries
By Joseph Alton, M.D.
Issue #140 • March/April, 2013
Cuts and scrapes are the most likely wounds gardeners incur (hopefully, not on that green thumb of yours). In many cases, these could have been prevented by simply using hand protection. Start off your gardening efforts by obtaining a good pair of work gloves; most injuries will occur on your hands.
You can expect to be at risk for the following mishaps in the garden:
Typical abrasion
Minor cuts (scratches): These tears in the skin only penetrate the "epidermis" (superficial skin layer) and become infected on an infrequent basis in a healthy person.
Abrasions (scrapes): A portion of the epidermis has been scraped off, exposing the dermis. You probably have experienced plenty of these as a child.
Contusions (bruises): These result from blunt trauma and do not penetrate the skin at all. However, there is bleeding into the skin from blood vessels that have been disrupted by the impact.
All of the above minor injuries can be easily treated. Wash the wound anywhere that the epidermis has been violated. The use of an antiseptic such as Betadine (Povidone-iodine solution), honey, or triple antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin or Bactroban, will be helpful to prevent infection. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are useful over-the-counter drugs to treat minor pain.
Minor bleeding can be stopped with a wet styptic pencil, an item normally used for shaving cuts. The wound, if it broke the skin, should have a protective adhesive bandage (such as a Band-Aid) to prevent infection.
Applying pressure and ice wherever a bruise seems to be spreading will stop it from getting bigger. Bruises will change color over time from blackish-blue to brown to yellow. Bruises may be gravity-dependent and may descend slightly as time goes on.
The Liquid Skin bandage is an excellent way to cover a minor injury with some advantages over a regular bandage. Apply it once to the cut or scrape; it dries within a minute or so and seals the wound. It also stops minor bleeding and won't peel off during baths. There are various brands (Band-Aid Liquid Bandage, New Skin, Curad, 3M Nexcare No-Sting liquid bandage) and many come as a convenient spray. These injuries will heal over the next 7-10 days, dependent on the amount of skin area affected.
If you have one of the minor injuries mentioned above, why not consider natural remedies? Here's an alternative process to deal with these issues:
1) Stop minor bleeding with herbal blood clotting agents and compress the area with gauze. Substances that clot blood are called "hemostatic" agents. These include:
Essential oils — geranium, helichrysum, lavender, cypress, myrrh, or hyssop.
Medicinal herbs — yarrow tincture, or directly apply cayenne pepper powder or cinnamon powder.
2) After minor bleeding is stopped, the wound should be cleaned with an herbal antiseptic. Mix a few drops of oil with sterile water and wash out the wound thoroughly. Essential oils with antiseptic properties include:
Lavender
Tea tree
Rosemary
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Apply herbal antiseptic to the wound in a 50/50 mix with carrier oils such as olive or coconut oil. Other natural antiseptics include garlic, raw unprocessed honey, echinacea, witch hazel, and St. John's wort.
3) If needed, use natural pain relievers such as:
more here www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/alton140.html
www.facebook.com/SurvivalPocketStuffEDC
Garden injuries
By Joseph Alton, M.D.
Issue #140 • March/April, 2013
Cuts and scrapes are the most likely wounds gardeners incur (hopefully, not on that green thumb of yours). In many cases, these could have been prevented by simply using hand protection. Start off your gardening efforts by obtaining a good pair of work gloves; most injuries will occur on your hands.
You can expect to be at risk for the following mishaps in the garden:
Typical abrasion
Minor cuts (scratches): These tears in the skin only penetrate the "epidermis" (superficial skin layer) and become infected on an infrequent basis in a healthy person.
Abrasions (scrapes): A portion of the epidermis has been scraped off, exposing the dermis. You probably have experienced plenty of these as a child.
Contusions (bruises): These result from blunt trauma and do not penetrate the skin at all. However, there is bleeding into the skin from blood vessels that have been disrupted by the impact.
All of the above minor injuries can be easily treated. Wash the wound anywhere that the epidermis has been violated. The use of an antiseptic such as Betadine (Povidone-iodine solution), honey, or triple antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin or Bactroban, will be helpful to prevent infection. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are useful over-the-counter drugs to treat minor pain.
Minor bleeding can be stopped with a wet styptic pencil, an item normally used for shaving cuts. The wound, if it broke the skin, should have a protective adhesive bandage (such as a Band-Aid) to prevent infection.
Applying pressure and ice wherever a bruise seems to be spreading will stop it from getting bigger. Bruises will change color over time from blackish-blue to brown to yellow. Bruises may be gravity-dependent and may descend slightly as time goes on.
The Liquid Skin bandage is an excellent way to cover a minor injury with some advantages over a regular bandage. Apply it once to the cut or scrape; it dries within a minute or so and seals the wound. It also stops minor bleeding and won't peel off during baths. There are various brands (Band-Aid Liquid Bandage, New Skin, Curad, 3M Nexcare No-Sting liquid bandage) and many come as a convenient spray. These injuries will heal over the next 7-10 days, dependent on the amount of skin area affected.
If you have one of the minor injuries mentioned above, why not consider natural remedies? Here's an alternative process to deal with these issues:
1) Stop minor bleeding with herbal blood clotting agents and compress the area with gauze. Substances that clot blood are called "hemostatic" agents. These include:
Essential oils — geranium, helichrysum, lavender, cypress, myrrh, or hyssop.
Medicinal herbs — yarrow tincture, or directly apply cayenne pepper powder or cinnamon powder.
2) After minor bleeding is stopped, the wound should be cleaned with an herbal antiseptic. Mix a few drops of oil with sterile water and wash out the wound thoroughly. Essential oils with antiseptic properties include:
Lavender
Tea tree
Rosemary
Eucalyptus
Peppermint
Apply herbal antiseptic to the wound in a 50/50 mix with carrier oils such as olive or coconut oil. Other natural antiseptics include garlic, raw unprocessed honey, echinacea, witch hazel, and St. John's wort.
3) If needed, use natural pain relievers such as:
more here www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/alton140.html
www.facebook.com/SurvivalPocketStuffEDC
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