If you have a wound, no matter how small, take the following steps to avoid infection and promote healing:
- Take care of the wound immediately. Even a minor wound can become infected if bacteria are allowed to build up after injury.
- Clean the wound. Rinse the wound under running water to remove dirt. Don't use soap, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine, which can irritate the injury. Then apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, and cover the wound with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily, and use soap to clean the skin around the wound. Inspect your wound daily for any signs of infection.
- See your doctor. Don't take any chances -- have your doctor check minor skin problems or areas of redness before they turn into larger problems. Err on the side of caution, says podiatrist and wound specialist Robert Snyder, DPM, medical director of the Wound Healing Center at University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla., and incoming president of the American Academy of Wound Management in Washington, D.C. "It's far easier to treat a minor skin problem before it becomes serious," he says.
- Keep pressure off the wound as it heals. For example, if your wound is on the bottom of the foot -- a common place for diabetic people to develop calluses and blisters -- stay off it as much as possible so it will have a better chance to heal, says Snyder.
