As the weather cools down, finding fun indoors can bring on new hobbies, such as craft-making and cooking. However, these are two activities, among many, which can put you at risk of cutting yourself with something sharp. If you do get a cut, it is important to know the signs that determine whether you should seek urgent care.

How to Tell if a Cut is Infected?

Cuts don’t always require medical care. In fact, small cuts like paper cuts happen often and almost never require medical intervention. However, these small injuries can become something more serious if proper care is not taken to keep a cut clean during the healing process. Even small cuts can get infected which can cause discomfort and potentially require medical intervention.

Common symptoms of an infected cut:

• Warmth around the injury
• Pain not subsiding or getting worse over time
• Redness or swelling
• Discharge leaking from the wound

If your cut is infected, there are some steps that you can take at home if your injury is small to help it heal correctly. Firstly, keep the cut clean. Wash the injury gently with warm water to get rid of any debris. Then, apply antibiotic ointment, which can be found at most pharmacy stores without a prescription. Cover the wound with antibiotic ointment and a bandaid until the infection is healed. If your cut is large, you should seek professional care at urgent care to ensure you don’t need antibiotics or stitches to help your wound heal.

Tips for Cleaning a Cut at Home

Most of the time, it is possible to care for a small cut at home without the need for a visit to a medical provider. Wash the injury with warm soapy water to ensure it is kept clean from debris. Ensure the bleeding stops within a few minutes. If not, you likely need stitches. Cover the cut with something to keep it moist and protected, such as Vaseline or an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment, and cover the wound completely with a sterile bandage.

If your cut was caused by something metal, you should talk to a medical provider about getting a tetanus booster shot. Although it was commonly used in the past, medical professionals recommend not using hydrogen peroxide or similar products to clean wounds as it leads to cell death which can delay healing.

Do I Need Stitches for a Cut?

Sometimes you need to see a medical professional for the treatment of a cut. There are multiple different circumstances where you should see a medical professional for a laceration, here are a few common reasons:

• There is something embedded in the injury
• The injury happened on a piece of metal
• It is a result of an animal bite
• It is located on the face
• The cut is more than ½ an inch long and/or ¼ inch deep

If your cut is large, bleeding extensively, or near a major artery, you should seek immediate medical care in the emergency room. However, many times the medical professionals at an urgent care clinic can suture lacerations to help stop bleeding and limit scarring from the injury. Whether your cut needs stitches or not, medical professionals can help advise on at-home care for proper healing.

Get Walk-In Acute Injury Treatment Near Burlington, MA at AFC Urgent Care Burlington

If you injure yourself,  it is important to know when to seek help from a medical professional for treatment to ensure your injury heals properly. At AFC Urgent Care Burlington, our board-certified medical professionals are available 7 days a week at our clinic to offer acute injury care on a walk-in basis. You never need an appointment to receive medical care from our medical staff, simply walk into our clinic when it is convenient for you.

We offer low-cost treatments and accept most medical insurance plans. If you live in Burlington, MA, or in any of the surrounding communities, AFC Urgent Care Burlington is here to support your health. For additional questions regarding our clinic, please contact our medical team directly by calling (781) 270-4700.