Getting a small cut may not seem like an immediate reason to rush to the doctor. However, there are some circumstances where getting a cut can require medical care. Small cuts can harbor bacteria and easily become infected, leading to a more painful and long-lasting injury without proper medical treatment. If you accidentally cut yourself and are wondering whether you should seek medical care, keep reading to learn more about treating minor cuts. For same-day care for minor cuts, walk into AFC Urgent Care West Long Branch.
Do Minor Cuts Require Medical Care?
We’ve all experienced accidentally cutting ourselves in the kitchen, getting a small paper cut, or injuring ourselves in our day-to-day lives. Small injuries like cuts are extremely common and typically can be treated on their own. However, depending on the circumstance, there are scenarios where minor cuts should be treated by a medical professional. When the skin is broken, you are susceptible to developing an infection by exposing your broken skin to outside irritants and bacteria. It is important to ensure the cut is clean and seek medical care if your cut could have been exposed to bacteria from dirty surfaces because it can lead to infection.
Tips for Managing Minor Cuts At Home
If you accidentally cut yourself while at home, there are some simple steps that you can take to determine whether your cut requires medical treatment, or if you can treat it at home safely. Firstly, it is important to consider what you injured yourself on. If the surface was rusty, or in a dirty place, it is important that you seek medical care. Rust and bacteria can lead to serious secondary infections.
If you cut yourself at home and your cut was not caused by a dirty surface, you should be able to treat it at home as long as you can control the bleeding and the cut is less than an inch in length. It is important to thoroughly clean the affected area with warm soapy water to prevent infection. Keeping the cut clean and applying a protective layer of Vaseline will help ensure that your cut heals quickly with a low risk of developing an infection. Always cover the cut when you are handling food or participating in activities that could get your injury dirty to avoid infection.
Signs Your Cut is Infected
If you’re treating a cut at home, infections can happen. In the case of a small injury, an infection can cause a delay in healing and cause discomfort. Infections and the development of scar tissue can also lead to scarring, so it is important to look after your injury properly to avoid infection. If you do notice signs of an infection, you should always seek medical care to clear the infection and ensure that your injury heals.
Common symptoms of an infected cut include:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Pain
- Oozing liquid or pus
- Discoloration of the affected area
- Fever
Visit AFC Urgent Care West Long Branch for Same-Day Treatment
In many cases, minor cuts can be treated at home. However, cuts can easily become infected. If you’re worried about a cut that isn’t healing correctly or could be infected, AFC Urgent Care West Long Branch is here to help. Our clinic accepts walk-in patients and maintains short wait times so that you can get the care that you need when you need it. Our board-certified medical providers are trained to provide rapid care for patients of all ages - all without the need to schedule an appointment in advance. We accept most medical insurance plans and offer affordable care. Walk into the clinic today!
