Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Take care of the finger
• Method 2 of 3: Treating a subungual hematoma
• Method 3 of 3: Keep taking good care of your finger

When you are doing odd jobs in or around your house, hanging a picture frame or making something in your workshop, you may accidentally hit yourself on your finger with a hammer. This is a common accident, but can be very painful and even damage your finger if the blow is hard enough. If this happens to you, you should assess the severity of the injury so that you know how to proceed with treatment at home and when to see a doctor. You can determine this by examining your finger to determine the severity of the injury.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Take care of the finger

1. Examine the finger for swelling. Your finger will likely start to swell no matter how hard you hit it with the hammer. This is the most common response to such trauma. If the blow wasn't very hard, your finger will probably only be swollen for a few days. If swelling is the only symptom you are seeing, you can cool your finger with ice to reduce the swelling and relieve the pain.
   • You could also take over-the-counter medications to relieve the pain.
   • An NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as ibuprofen (for example, Advil) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Use such medicines only according to the instructions for use on the package.
   • You do not need to see your doctor unless the swelling persists, you develop severe pain, the finger appears to go numb, or you are unable to bend or extend the finger.
2. Dealing with a fracture. If the swelling is severe and you are experiencing extreme pain, you may have fractured your finger, especially if you hit your finger hard. If your finger looks deformed and is extremely sensitive when you touch it, you probably have a fracture. This may be in combination with bleeding or a broken fingernail.
   • If you suspect you have a fracture, you should seek immediate medical attention. An X-ray will need to be taken and the doctor may splint your finger or apply some other treatment. Do not apply a splint yourself unless instructed to do so by your doctor.
3. Clean the wound. If your finger is bleeding after you hit it, you should clean the wound so that you can then assess the severity of the injury. If you are visibly bleeding, clean the wound with running warm water. Let the warm water run over the wound and let the blood run down the sink, not back into the wound. Then, using gauze, you should clean the entire wound area with Betadine or another means that you can use to clean and care for the wound.
   • Apply pressure to the wound for several minutes to stop bleeding. This also allows you to determine how deep the wound is and whether you should see a doctor.
   • If the wound is bleeding profusely or the blood more or less sprays from the wound, seek immediate medical attention.
4. Examine the cuts. Once you have cleaned the wound, examine the finger to determine if you have any cuts. The wound may still bleed slightly during your exam, but this is not a problem in itself. Cuts are quite easy to detect as they often come in the form of a tear or flap on the surface of the skin. A bleeding wound on the finger, where skin tissue is obviously damaged or skin flaps completely torn off, should be examined by a physician. Cuts may need to be stitched if the wound is four inches or larger.However, if you are dealing with a larger wound area where the skin has been completely destroyed, the skin is probably beyond salvage.
   • Many doctors will still secure damaged or destroyed skin over the finger pad with sutures for protection while new skin forms over the wound area. The skin will then be removed when new skin has formed.
   • Cuts can also be very superficial and stop bleeding pretty quickly after you get them, especially if you didn't hit your finger very hard. If this is the case, you should wash the cut, apply antibiotic ointment and cover the wound with a dressing.
5. Examine the finger for a tendon injury. Since your hands and fingers are a complex set of muscles, tendons, and nerves, it is important to examine your fingers for signs of tendon injury. Tendons connect muscles to your bones. Your hand has two types of tendons: flexor tendons, on the inside of your hand, that allow you to bend your fingers; and extensor tendons, on the back of your hand, that allow you to stretch your fingers. Cuts or blows can damage or tear these tendons.
   • A torn or cut tendon in your finger will likely make it impossible to bend your finger.
   • A cut on the inside of the hand or near the folds of skin at the joints of your fingers could indicate an injury to the underlying tendon.
   • You may experience numbness as a result of the nerve damage.
   • Sensitivity in your palm may indicate a tendon injury.
   • You could be referred to a hand surgeon if you observe one or more of the signs described above, as repairing hand and finger injuries is a very specialist treatment.
6. Assess the state of the fingernail. If you hit your fingernail with the hammer, it is quite possible that you have sustained significant damage. Examine the nail and try to determine the extent of the damage. If a small blood blister has developed under the fingernail, you do not need to seek medical attention. Cool the wound with ice and possibly take an over-the-counter pain reliever medication for the pain. If the pain persists for several days, if the blood blister is larger than 25% of your fingernail, or if the blood is putting a significant amount of pressure under your fingernail, seek medical attention. You are probably dealing with a subungual hematoma.
   • It is also possible that you have a cut on your fingernail or that part of the nail has become loose. If you have a significant cut on your nail bed, you should seek medical attention as the wound will likely need to be stitched. If left untreated, the cut will hinder nail recovery, causing the nail to grow in a distorted way or cause infection.
   • If all or part of the fingernail has been removed, seek immediate medical attention. This is a serious problem and medical treatment is required. The fingernail may be removed or stitched until a new, healthy nail grows. This can take up to six months.

Method 2 of 3: Treating a subungual hematoma

1. See your doctor. If the blood build-up under your fingernail is significant, meaning it covers more than 25% of your nail, you should see your doctor. You have contracted a subungual hematoma (bruise). This is an area of ​​broken small blood vessels under your nail. Your doctor will probably suggest removing the nail. If you respond quickly enough, you could do this yourself. If you notice a severe throbbing pain, push the cuticle (cuticle) back as far as possible so that the hematoma is easily accessible with a sterilized needle. This will hurt less than your throbbing finger and it is easier to bring the needle into contact with the hematoma at the base of the nail where it starts to grow. Drain the blister several times until lymph fluid flows. This will prevent a black fingernail caused by dried blood under the nail.
   • If the blood pool is as low as 25% or less of the nail surface, no medical treatment is required. The blood will eventually disappear on its own as the nail grows. The size of the black spot (clotted blood) under your nail depends on how hard the blow was on your finger.
   • If the hematoma covers more than 50% of the nail surface, an X-ray will be taken.
   • You should have a hematoma treated by a doctor within 24 to 48 hours.
2. Have your doctor remove the blood. The safest way to get rid of the blood under your nail is to have your doctor perform the treatment. The blood will be removed by cautery. During this treatment, the doctor will melt a small hole in your nail with an electric cautery instrument. As soon as the needle of the instrument comes into contact with the hematoma under your fingernail, the tip will automatically cool. This prevents you from burning yourself on the instrument.
   • After a hole has been made, the blood will flow out from under the nail until the pressure is released. The doctor will then bandage your finger with a wound dressing and send you home afterward.
   • The physician may be using an 18G (gauge) needle, although cauterization is preferred.
   • This treatment is painless as there are no nerves in your fingernail.
   • This treatment helps to relieve pressure that builds up underneath the nail, which means it is less likely to have the nail removed.
3. Remove the hematoma yourself at home. Your doctor may advise you to remove the hematoma yourself at home. For the treatment method you will need a paper clip and a lighter. Wash your hands very thoroughly beforehand. Prepare the paperclip by first unfolding it, then hold the end in the lighter flame until it is red and hot, this takes ten to fifteen seconds. Then place the end of the paper clip in the center of the hematoma area at a 90 degree angle to the nail bed. Gently press down on the paperclip and slowly move the end back and forth in the same place, creating a hole in the nail. Once you get through the nail, the blood will flow through the hole. Get a cloth or a piece of dressing to catch the blood.
   • If you don't manage to burn a hole in your nail at first, you could reheat the end of the paperclip and try again. This time apply a little more pressure on the paperclip to get through the nail.
   • Don't press too hard, because you should avoid poking a hole in your nail bed.
   • You may want to take a pain reliever before performing this treatment method if your finger hurts a lot.
   • If you are unable to do it yourself, you could ask a friend or partner to help you.
4. Clean your fingernail again. Once all the blood has leaked out, you should clean the fingernail again. Clean the nail again with Betadine or another cleaning agent. Connect the finger to gauze by making a ball of gauze at the tip of your finger. It provides your finger with better support and protection against external irritation and trauma. Hold the gauze in place with medical tape.
   • Put the gauze on the finger and the base of the hand and keep the figure “eight” while wrapping. This will keep the dressing in the right place.

Method 3 of 3: Keep taking good care of your finger

1. Change the dressing regularly. Regardless of the damage or wound you have on your finger, you should change the dressing daily. However, if the dressing has become dirty, replace it earlier than the usual 24 hours. If you remove the dressing every day, you should clean your finger with a sterile solution and then apply the dressing in the same way.
   • If you have stitches, you should consult your doctor before cleaning them. Follow the instructions he or she gave you regarding how to care for the stitches. You should probably keep them dry and not clean them with a solution.
2. See if you notice any symptoms of an infection. Whenever you remove the dressing, check for symptoms that indicate infection. Look closely for pus, exudate, redness, or warmth, especially if it spreads to your hand or arm. Also keep a record of the time when you start having a fever, as complications can occur, including infections such as cellulitis, whitlow (an inflammation with a build-up of pus on your nail bed and cuticle), or other hand infections.
3. Make a follow-up appointment with your doctor. If you have had the finger injury for several weeks, you should see your doctor again. If he or she has stitched the wound or removed the hematoma, the doctor will likely schedule a follow-up appointment himself. In case of serious injury, you should always make a follow-up appointment so that the doctor can assess the healing process.
   • Make sure to contact your doctor immediately if you have additional symptoms, you suspect you have an infection, there is debris in the wound that you cannot remove, you experience additional or excessive pain, or the wound is starting to uncontrolled. bleed.
   • You should also contact your doctor if you notice symptoms that may indicate nerve damage. Think of: a lack of sensation, numbness, or the development of a tumor-like scar (“neuroma”) that is often painful and causes an electrical sensation when touched.