Info about Wound Care
Cuts, Bumps, and Bruises —
You are quietly slicing tomatoes for dinner when it happens—- BAM! Your gentle toddler rammed you in the leg with his tricycle. You accidentally slice into a finger instead of the fruit. You end up with a bruise on your leg and a bleeding appendage.
Aside from bandaging up your finger and watching your leg go from black to blue to orange, what can you do to help your body heal itself?
• CandZ
Scientists agree that good nutrition helps speed healing of bumps, bruises, and cuts. To give your body that extra boost it needs, make sure your diet is rich in vitamin C and zinc. Without enough vitamin C, the amino acids needed for tissue repair may not come together in the right sequence, which might lead to the disintegration of skin over even old, long-healed wounds.
Eating plenty of dark green vegetables and citrus fruits can give you more than enough C to help you heal. If you do not get enough vitamin C in your diet, you might consider taking a supplement, especially if you are going into surgery in a few days.
Although scientists aren’t quite sure what role the mineral zinc plays in the healing process, they are certain that a lack of zinc slows down healing. You may get enough zinc in your diet now to speed healing. If you don’t, increase your intake of zinc by eating lean roast beef, oysters, turkey, beans, whole wheat products, and oats. Another option is to discuss the use of a zinc supplement with your doctor.
A drawback with zinc supplements in relation to cut and bruise healing, is that they only seem to work of your body truly has a zinc deficit. If you already possess a good amount of zinc, taking a supplement may be a waste of time and money.
Other vitamins to concentrate on are the B complex vitamins and vitamin K. You can get B complex vitamins from all kinds of foods, ranging from lean meats and whole wheat products, to fruits and vegetables. Vitamin K is important for its ability to assist in blood clotting. Without K, you may bleed excessively from even a small cut, and bruises can become much more serious.
• Sugary Solution
A final note on healing cuts: use common table sugar (not powdered or brown sugar) to your advantage. Mix white sugar with one part Betadine solution and 1 1/2 parts Betadine ointment (available at any pharmacy). Apply the mixture to the cleaned wound whose bleeding has stopped, and cover with a bandage.
Clean the wound and reapply several times a day. The cut will heal a few days faster with little or no scarring. This Betadine sugar mixture also works well on burns.