The average person will sustain somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000 minor injuries throughout the course of their life. From paper cuts to skinned knees, these minor injuries aren’t uncommon at all.
More often than not, you won’t need to hit up a hospital if you get a small cut on your finger or another part of your body. But you will need to seek medical attention if you suspect you may need stitches after suffering an injury.
So, what are some of the signs that’ll suggest you might need stitches? We’re going to walk you through a few of the most common ones so that you understand when you’ll need to get stitches for cuts.
Here are eight signs that’ll show you it’s time to head down to a hospital for wound care.
1. Cut Won’t Stop Bleeding
When you get a cut, it should stop bleeding within a few minutes as long as you apply pressure to it. If it doesn’t, this will be one of the most obvious signs you need stitches.
If you don’t get stitches for a cut like this, it’s going to continue to bleed for a long time. It’s also going to open you up to potentially getting an infection. It could turn a small cut into a very big deal.
2. Blood Spurting Out of a Cut
If you ever have blood spurting out of a cut, this is another very bad sign. It’s usually an indication you’ve either struck an artery or come very close to doing it.
Either way, you’re going to need stitches along with other medical care ASAP. You might end up losing your fair share of blood if you don’t take it upon yourself to get to a hospital quickly.
3. Cut Runs Deep
Any time you notice a cut on your body, you should work to stop the bleeding first and foremost. From there, you’ll want to evaluate this cut to see how deep it is.
You’ll be able to see just how deep it goes by looking at it. If it seems deeper than cuts you’ve had in the past, you’ll need stitches to close it up so that it can heal fast.
4. Cut Won’t Close
A deep cut isn’t the only type of cut you’ll need to worry about. You should also be concerned about a wide cut that won’t close when you stick a regular bandage on it.
A cut like this will typically be the type of cut that’ll keep bleeding for an extended period of time. You’ll need stitches to hold it closed so that a cut can heal properly.
5. Fatty Tissue Exposed by Cut
We touched on how important it’ll be for you to see how deep a cut is a few moments ago. But when a cut exposes fatty tissue, it’ll be deep on a whole different level.
In a situation like this, a doctor is going to need to evaluate your cut to see how much damage it was able to do. Hopefully, it won’t have done too much damage to the tissue that sits beneath your skin.
At any rate, you’ll need to have a cut like this stitched back up to close it for good. You’ll also need to have this cut treated to stop an infection from possibly setting in.
6. Cut Sits Near a Joint
All the joints that exist throughout your body don’t have as much insulation on top of them as other parts. For this reason, you’ll need to be extra careful with any large or deep cuts near joints.
Cuts like these will need stitches to close and heal. You might also need to make it a point to avoid using a joint when it has a big cut over it. Otherwise, you could inadvertently end up reopening a cut even if it has been stitched up.
7. Cut Swelling and Getting Redder
If you find that a cut appears to be swelling up on you and/or increasing in redness, this is going to be a terrible sign. It may show that a cut has gotten infected and will need to be treated further.
Believe it or not, some people have died in the past due to infections caused by small paper cuts. You shouldn’t ever let an infection that comes about because of a cut linger for too long.
8. Cut Caused by Something Rusty
Were you cut by a rusty nail, screw, or piece of scrap metal? This will be one of the worst types of cuts you can sustain.
A cut like this is almost always going to open you up to infections and other ailments. You’ll need to get a tetanus shot if you haven’t had one recently to combat this kind of a cut.
You’ll also need stitches to close up a cut caused by something rusty in many cases. It’s not going to be a nice cut to deal with.
If you own a construction company, you’ll want to keep this construction first aid kit on hand at all times to prevent your employees from sustaining cuts and not being able to do anything about them right away.
You’ll Need Stitches If You Spot Any of These Signs
To treat most cuts, all you’ll need to do is clean them and cover them up with a bandage. But there will be certain cuts that’ll need stitches once they’ve been cleaned.
If you think you may have sustained a bad cut that will need stitches, you shouldn’t delay a trip to the emergency room. You’ll want to get stitched up right away to stop a small cut from spiraling out of control.
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