How to treat wounds with hydrogen peroxide? What kind of medicine is this? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. In everyday life, the treatment of wounds with hydrogen peroxide has been practiced for a long time. It is difficult to find a girl or a boy who would not have caring grandmothers or mothers to clean abrasions with this means of disinfection, which has become really popular. How to treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide, we will find out below.
What it is?
Not everyone knows how to treat a wound with hydrogen peroxide. In everyday life, this drug is called hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). It is a disinfectant with hemostatic and deodorizing qualities. Hydrogen peroxide is used to rinse and rinse with inflammatory ailments (tonsillitis, stomatitis), stop nasal bleeding, treat wounds, and more.
Today, this antiseptic in home medicine chests is the most popular. When applied, a chemical oxidation reaction is carried out, as a result of which atomic oxygen is formed . This substance is a powerful antiseptic, but in nature it can be found very rarely.
In contact with living matter, hydrogen peroxide decomposes in a matter of seconds, destroying all microorganisms that are in its area of effect.
When to apply?
The hydrogen peroxide solution is one of the most inexpensive antiseptics available today in pharmacies. It can be bought without a prescription, and it is used in the following cases:
- for the treatment of tonsillitis;
- for disinfection of purulent wounds;
- for processing areas with dead tissue;
- to eliminate dried blood clots;
- with nosebleeds;
- for disinfection of cuts, burns, scratches;
- with the treatment of stomatitis, periodontal disease;
- with gynecological ailments;
- with open capillary bleeding.
Usage Technique
How to treat a wound with hydrogen peroxide? It is known that a high concentration of this drug can cause burns to the mucous membrane and skin. That is why in medicine they use a 3% solution that is odorless and colorless, or tablets in which peroxide is used in combination with hydroperit (urea).
In order to disinfect a surface wound, the damaged area is washed with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the concentration of the solution does not have age restrictions, that is, for both babies and adults, it should be identical.
So how does hydrogen peroxide treat a wound? To do this, moisten a cotton swab with a solution and gently pat it with damage. In this case, you need to ensure that there are no untreated sites left. Peroxide pouring directly from a bottle onto an open wound is prohibited, especially if you have to treat a deep wound.
The fact is that when the drug is decomposed into components, atomic oxygen is actively formed, as we discussed above. This substance is white effervescent vesicles. It is they who disinfect and clean the wound. But with deep cuts, these vesicles can enter the circulatory system, which poses a great danger to the life of the patient. Many people ask: "Do they treat wounds with hydrogen peroxide?" Oh sure. Now you know what they are processing.
If peroxide is used to rinse the mouth (for the treatment of stomatitis, tonsillitis and the like), a 0.25% solution is usually prepared. To do this, dilute a tablespoon of peroxide with a glass of water.
Side effects
You still don’t know if hydrogen peroxide can treat a wound? We have already given an affirmative answer to this question. Very often, peroxide is used to soften and easily remove cotton swabs and bandages that have dried on wounds. To do this, dial the peroxide solution into a syringe and inject it under a bandage. When the reaction begins and bubbles appear, feel free to unblock the wound.
Hydrogen peroxide, unlike most of the current healing and disinfecting drugs, has practically no side effects. Its use is not accompanied by painful sensations, with the exception of the rarest cases of allergic reactions. But here everything is limited by the painful burning sensation during cleaning of the wound, and when rinsing the oral cavity - by swelling and redness of the papillae of the tongue.
Nursing mothers and pregnant women can use hydrogen peroxide safely. Pediatricians treat the umbilical wound in newborns with this drug. Very often, doctors cleanse their wounds before using brilliant green (brilliant green).
Cons of peroxide
Many doctors say that it is possible to treat a wound with hydrogen peroxide. It was previously believed that this medication has the only drawback - a short time of disinfecting exposure. But this defect can easily be foreseen and you can continue to follow the proper schedule of antibiotic treatment. However, scientists recently conducted research and found that the use of hydrogen peroxide slows the healing process.
No one doubts that this drug destroys bacteria and dirt that got into the wound. However, opponents of its use argue that hydrogen peroxide has high abrasiveness, including in the form of a solution.
Therefore, there is a certain paradox here: peroxide perfectly disinfects and cleanses the wound, but prevents natural cell regeneration. Such a slowdown is externally manifested by itching and the transformation of the color of the tissues in the wound and around it, their excessive dryness.
In this regard, paramedics have somewhat transformed their views on the safety of using peroxide to cleanse wounds. They advise to wash the wound with soapy water as much as possible, and use antibiotic ointments for disinfection, as they moisturize the skin and gently affect it, accelerating the healing process of wounds and not inhibiting it.
With this method of disinfecting a wound, it should be washed with soap and water at least twice a day until complete healing. When using antibiotic ointments, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations set out in the instructions for them.
Pros of antiseptic
However, do not rush to throw out peroxide from your first-aid kit. A complete rejection of this drug is a premature and reckless step. Soap and clean water are not always available, and hydrogen peroxide may be the only drug available. They can reliably clean the wound of bacteria, earth and foreign bodies. Also, peroxide will be indispensable if you need to scrape dried blood from a scratch.
How often do you need to treat a wound with hydrogen peroxide? In emergency cases, a one-time cleansing with the drug will not cause significant negative consequences for the damage, but will allow it to be kept clean until other disinfectants are used. In any case, only small scratches and wounds can be treated and treated independently.
Can hydrogen peroxide treat an open wound? Yes you can. But if it is large and its treatment does not give any effect, it is not possible to completely remove the infection from it within 1-2 days, you should immediately consult a doctor for help.
You need to visit a doctor immediately even when you have received a stab wound, for example, have pierced a leg or arm with a nail. Despite tiny external damage, such wounds pose a great danger, as they are usually very deep. In addition, they always infect.
Hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive and compact disinfectant. But still try not to get injured and be careful.
Are there any restrictions on use?
There are no contraindications to the use of hydrogen peroxide. The only localization is the prohibition of dropping peroxide drops on occlusive dressings and mucous membranes of the eyes. The use of the drug does not cause pain (we wrote about this above).
Why is peroxide an excellent choice?
Hydrogen peroxide has been used since the 1920s as an antiseptic, since it is an effective means of exterminating bacteria. An antiseptic is a substance that stops the growth of pathogens.
When a wound is washed with peroxide, pain and discomfort appear due to the fact that the medication activates pain receptors when it kills bacteria in the wound. This is much more effective and safer than wiping scratches with alcohol, often used and leaving no residue, unlike iodine.
The importance of treating abrasions and wounds
If you need to treat an open wound with hydrogen peroxide, you can easily cope with it now. Regardless of the type of wound you have - whether it is a cut, scratch, abrasion, burn or puncture - you need to clean the injury with the drug immediately after it appears, otherwise an infection will get into it and blood poisoning may occur. The damage most quickly heals that, after the appearance, were treated no later than 2 hours.
Especially it is necessary to carefully treat those open wounds in which dirt or any foreign object has fallen. In order for an infection to enter the bloodstream, the mutilation does not have to be large and deep. Infection can occur through a splinter, a small cut, a puncture, an animal bite, cracked skin on the heels, a burn wound, and so on.
If contamination gets into the wound surface, a person may develop gangrene or tetanus.
Virus eradication
Many people and doctors use antibacterial drugs to treat wounds. This is wrong, since antibiotics only fight bacteria, and fungi and viruses can also be present in the wound. That is why antibiotics are ineffective for disinfecting wounds.
The antiseptic also affects both the bacterial flora and the fungal and viral. In addition, over time, bacteria develop immunity to antibacterial drugs, and remain sensitive to antiseptic solutions.
Hydrogen peroxide itself does not accelerate healing, but it kills pathogenic microorganisms that slow down regeneration. If the antiseptic is used incorrectly, this situation can only aggravate and make healing slower.
For the treatment of wounds, only a 3% solution can be used, since a high concentration can lead to burns. A 6% peroxide solution is typically used to store sterile medical instruments.
Processing Rules
Experts recommend the following:
- It is better to water the wound surface with a stream, and not soak it with gauze or cotton wool. If you wipe the wound with cotton dipped in peroxide, you can bring even more viruses. However, if the wound has a depth of more than 20 cm, peroxide cannot be poured onto it, as the solution will get inside.
- If the wound has already begun to heal, do not treat it with peroxide, as it can burn young skin. As a result, healing will slow down.
- It is forbidden to use peroxide on too deep wounds and fill it inside the wounds.
- If you use peroxide simultaneously with iodine, then a reaction will occur, as a result of which free iodine appears. As a result, a person will receive a chemical burn with iodine.
- It is forbidden to combine purification with peroxide with penicillin, alkalis, acids.
You should also know how to preserve an antiseptic so that it does not lose its qualities. If the jar has not yet been opened, you can store it for 2 years at 8-15 ° C in a dark place. If you have already opened the vial, keep it in the refrigerator for no more than a month.
Remember that peroxide is not a therapeutic drug and cannot replace therapy. Typically, the injury is washed with soap and water, treated with peroxide, and then ointment is applied to the damaged surface and a sterile dressing is applied. Wound healing drugs are prescribed by a doctor. Be healthy!