Having slipped and fallen on the street, a person strives to quickly get up and continue on his way. But don't rush. First you need to raise your head, move your arms and legs. If there is no pain, you can get up. If any painful sensations appear, try to determine what they are most likely caused by - a bruise, ligament damage or a bone fracture.
If it is a bruise... When a bruise occurs, soft tissue (subcutaneous fatty tissue), blood vessels and nerve endings are most often damaged. As a result, a hematoma (bleeding) in the form of a tumor usually develops quickly. Its value depends on the size of the damaged vessel and the anatomical features of the damaged area. On the palm, for example, hematomas are not large, but on the thigh they can cover almost the entire surface. Due to the blood spilling from the damaged vessel, the site of the bruise turns blue-purple or blue - a so-called bruise or hemorrhage is formed. As hemoglobin disintegrates, the color of the bruised area changes: after three or four days it becomes brown-green, on the fifth or sixth day - yellow, and after a week - two or even three colors.
First aid for a bruise on ice - first of all, one must take into account that a fall can damage not only subcutaneous tissues, but also internal organs. Contusions to the head and abdomen are especially dangerous in this regard. If there is any suspicion of a serious injury (if nausea, dizziness, or abdominal pain occurs), the victim needs immediate medical attention. To reduce hemorrhage and pain, it is advisable to apply cold to the site of the injury as soon as possible - a towel soaked in cold water, ice, a cold metal object, a damp piece of newspaper (by the way, it works no worse than lead lotion). If there are abrasions, scratches, or small wounds, lubricate them with any disinfectant and apply a bactericidal patch on top. (The patch should not be applied to a place smeared with iodine - you can get a chemical burn.) If you bruise a thigh or leg, if pain bothers you, apply a tight bandage to the injured area and recommend that the victim keep his leg in an elevated position while sleeping. For bruises on the face, the powder of a freshwater sponge - bodyagi - can do a good job. It is diluted with vegetable oil (1:30), mixed thoroughly and gently rubbed into the skin at the site of the bruise. Blood circulation increases in the affected area, which promotes healing and rapid resorption of the bruise. Instead of oil, you can use hydrogen peroxide by mixing a small amount of bodyagi with it. The mixture instantly foams, after which it is immediately applied to the site of the bruise. After 30 minutes, a crust will form, which must be left for another 30 minutes and then washed off with warm water. A day or two after the injury, cold lotions should be replaced with thermal procedures (compresses, baths). To reduce swelling and cyanosis, after two or three days you can apply a potato compress to the bruised area. It is made from thoroughly washed raw potato peelings or from mashed potatoes, boiled in their skins, adding a small amount of honey and baking soda to the puree. During the day this procedurecan be done every two hours.
If the ligaments are damaged... If you fall on a slippery sidewalk, the ligaments can be damaged (even torn). The most commonly damaged ligaments are the ankle, knee and wrist joints. Injury to the ankle ligaments occurs when the foot suddenly rolls inward or outward. In this case, severe pain immediately occurs and swelling quickly develops on the inside or outside of the damaged joint. As a result of this injury, a person cannot move his lower leg due to severe pain and swelling in the knee joint. The wrist ligaments are usually damaged by a fall on an outstretched arm. Sharp pain and swelling at the site of injury limit hand movements.
First aid for damaged ligaments - if the ligaments of the ankle or knee joint are damaged, it is necessary, first of all, to provide rest to the leg - lay or sit the victim so that the foot is elevated. Ice wrapped in a towel or plastic bag should be applied to the injured area (for 10-15 minutes with 15-minute breaks). Instead of ice, you can simply hold the place where the damaged ligaments are located under a stream of cold tap water. When the pain goes away, you should try to carefully step on your leg or lean lightly on your arm, depending on what is damaged. If the pain resumes during exercise, then this limb should not be disturbed for the first 24 hours. If the injured area continues to hurt, a fixing bandage is applied to the joint. It’s important not to overdo it here. To prevent the bandage from impeding blood circulation, it should not be too tight. If the skin below the bandage turns pale or blue, it is necessary to immediately loosen the bandage and apply a bandage.anovo - with less effort. The tightest bandage (preferably elastic) should lie on the most painful and swollen area.
When treating ligament injuries, you can use various ointments, gels and creams that relieve pain, inflammation, reduce swelling, improving blood circulation in damaged tissues. Moreover, in the acute period (during the first day), it is recommended to use only those ointments that have a cooling effect: “Golden Star” balm, heparil gel, indovazin, venoruton (troxevasin), essaven gel, etc. And only after one or two days, ointments that have a warming effect can be applied to the site of injury, for example, Sanitas, finalgon, “Efkamon”, apizartron, fastum-gel. On the 3-4th day after the injury, you can slowly do a light massage, stroking the damaged joint up and down and in a circle. And then you should do gymnastics - turn the damaged limb in different directions. Improvement usually occurs within 10 days. When the pain completely subsides, you can return to your normal lifestyle. However, you need to remember that the pain goes away faster than the ligament rupture heals. Therefore, thTo avoid re-injury, it is better to take care at first.
If after three days you still cannot stand up or lean on your injured leg, you should visit a doctor. Perhaps the injury will be more serious and special treatment will be required (plaster casting, a course of physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, etc.).
The most dangerous thing is a fracture... According to statistics, fractures of the hand and forearm account for approximately half of all such injuries, of which up to 60% are fractures of the radius. They happen at any time of the year, but in winter, when there is ice, their number increases. When falling, a person instinctively puts his hand forward to soften the blow. In this case, the energy of the falling body is most often realized in a limited area - approximately 2 cm from the wrist joint, in the weakest place of the radius. Hence the name - a fracture in a “typical place”. Elderly people suffering from osteoporosis (loss of bone tissue) need to be especially careful. Characteristic signs of such a fracture: sharp pain in the injured arm, aggravated by movement, as well as swelling and deformation in the lower third of the forearm, caused by displacement of bone fragments due to sudden muscle contraction. If a fracture does occur, it is important not to get confused.
Here are some simple first aid rules.
If the fracture is open, when the skin is damaged and bone fragments are visible in the wound, under no circumstances try to reduce them. The first thing it is advisable to do is treat the edges of the wound with any disinfectant and apply a sterile bandage or at least a clean handkerchief. With any fracture, the injured arm needs to be rested. To do this, it is necessary to bend it at the elbow joint at a right angle, and turn the hand with the palm towards the body, slightly bending the fingers.
To fix the hand in this position, you can use various improvised splints - planks, thick cardboard, several tied rods, etc. They are placed along the forearm from the outer and inner sides - from the hand (without fingers) to the elbow joint, be sure to grab it too. Then all this is secured with a bandage, scarf, towel or some other material at hand, but not too tightly so as not to cause numbness in the fingers or increase swelling. Next, the hand is suspended on a scarf. In cases where it is not possible to immediately seek medical help, it is recommended to cover the fracture site with pieces of ice or snow in a plastic bag; a cold metal object will also do (this will somewhat reduce the pain and swelling). The victim can also be given a painkiller, but if this is not at hand, then it is not forbidden to drink alcohol. Sometimes a fracture can only be seen on an x-ray. Therefore, for any injury to the radius in a “typical place”, dEven if the hand has not changed in appearance, you should definitely consult a doctor. The fact is that, with their sharp edges, bone fragments can quite seriously damage nearby muscles, blood vessels and nerves. And here you cannot do without timely and qualified medical care. Self-medication will only complicate the situation and can lead to serious consequences.
If something as bad as an injury happens, there is no need to panic. Try to soberly assess the damage and take adequate measures to restore your health.
