Suffering a cut is not only painful, but, depending on how deep the wound is, it can be quite scary. While it’s true that most cuts can be properly treated at home by administering basic first aid, deeper ones might need stitches to heal properly.

Our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team provides some helpful info on what to do if you or a loved one suffers a cut below, so keep reading!

What Should I Do When Dealing With a Wound?

If you’ve been cut and you’re bleeding, the first thing you should to is to perform some basic first aid. Apply pressure on the laceration, rinse it under running water and put a bandage or gauze on it to keep the bleeding under control.

Like we said earlier, most cuts won’t need stitches to heal properly, but some will. We’ve listed some signs to be on the lookout for below.

Signs Stitches Could Be Necessary

• Wound looks very deep, even if it’s not especially long or wide
• Wound is more than a half-inch long
• Wound opens so wide that you can’t get the edges together with just a little pressure
• Wound has ragged edges
• Wound has debris in it such as dirt, glass or gravel

Should I Be Worried About Infection in a Wound?

In some cases, yes. If dirtier, more unfamiliar objects have caused your wound, there’s a higher chance your wound could become infected.

If you’ve suffered a cut wound lately and you aren’t sure if it’s becoming infected or not, we’ve listed some common infection signs below to help you feel more informed.

Common Signs of Infection

• The surrounding area becomes red, and this area gets larger over time
• The area surrounding the wound becomes swollen, tender to the touch or painful
• The wound weeps off-color or odorous fluid that is yellow, greenish or cloudy
• Red streaks spread out from the site of the wound
• You develop a fever (above 100.4° F)
• Lymph nodes become enlarged

Worried about your wound? Don’t hesitate to visit our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team today to get the non-emergency care that you need!