Advice on injury needed

judsoncarroll4
judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
edited October 2020 in General Health

Yesterday, I got whacked on the shin hard enough to split open the skin. It is a small wound, but it bled a lot. I disinfected it and applied a comfrey and myrrh salve. The problem is that it hasn't totally stopped bleeding. When ever I walk around for more than a few minutes, it starts bleeding again. The blood is kind of watery looking... different than a regular cut... it doesn't dry or scab. I don't have any yarrow on hand and can't get out to get any. Any advice on how I should treat this? There is not much swelling or bruising, but of course, it hurts pretty bad..

Comments

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd probably try to steri -strip it or butterfly bandage it and keep a pressure bandage on for a while. Sounds like you didn't hit a vein or artery. Fluids tend to pool in lower extremities.

    Hope it's better soon.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    Do you have any bugle weed (Ajuga)? Usually grows everywhere. Dead nettle (Lamium album or L. purpurea) would also work. Both have styptic properties.

    I treated a similar injury recently. 12 lb sledge hammer on a finger at the top of a post. Split it open to the bone. Disinfected it with Oregon Grape Root tincture. Applied butterfly sutures (but they came of the next day when he changed the dressing). He continued to use a healing salve on it and it has healed really well. I also gave him 2 doses of Arnica 6c and 2 doses of Hypericum 6c, homeopathically. Each an hour apart. If you have homeopathic remedies available I would certainly try a dose or two of Arnica. I gave Hypericum as well cause it was an extremity injury so that might not be so helpful in your case.

    Homeopathic Arnica 30c is something everyone should have on hand, even if you have no other remedies. Just the best thing for blunt force trauma.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Ugh, I'm out of all 3! I'm at my mom's house, taking care of her because she is sick. I guess I'll have to start carrying an herbal first aid kit. I'm so spoiled in the mountains with yarrow and plantain growing in the front yard, etc. Thanks though.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    No, I'm out of everything except what I was using for my mom's digestive issues (chamomile, calendula marshmallow, licorice, calamus and oregon grape), a comfrey salve I use for my bad knee, my bitters, some ginseng and milk thistle. The only herbs I can spot growing in the yard are poke, English ivy, and horse thistle.... some dried culinary herbs in the kitchen Looks like I'm out of luck herbily ...definitely learned my lesson about traveling with an herbal first aid kit!

    I bought my mom a washing machine yesterday, the guys at the store helped load it onto my truck, but I unloaded it, brought it in the house, up the stairs and hooked it up by myself. I think @Mary Linda Bittle may be right that fluid is mixing with the surface blood, because lugging around a 300 lb washer caused my knee to swell, and that is like 4 inches above the cut.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    OH, I just remembered, pine pitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I have pine pitch!

  • Linda Bittle
    Linda Bittle Posts: 1,518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How bout cinnamon powder? I've read that it can help stop bleeding.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin
    edited August 2020

    Got it with pine pitch. I mean, this is Pinehurst, NC.... it is nothing but pine trees and golf courses - I can't believe I forgot about pine pitch... there are at least 30 pine trees jus tin her yard! So, I went out and spotted some... 10 minutes later, the bleeding has stopped. I also spotted some puffball mushrooms I could have used.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @judsoncarroll4 Excellent! Pine pitch will help stop the bleeding/oozing, act as an antibacterial and help seal the wound instead of a bandage. It is it's own healing salve. I was going to suggest puffballs but our season is well past here so didn't think you'd have any. But different climates.

    There is usually something that Mother Nature has provided in the vicinity of our injuries, if we know what to look for and how to use it.

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    Glad your leg is doing better @judsoncarroll4 . It's nice to know about pine pitch; I'd never heard of that one. How do you apply it? (I'm just picturing it sticking more to my fingers than the wound.)

    However, it's really sad to think of a house being all out of cayenne...

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Well, there is crushed red pepper and several hot sauces, including one that is cayenne based... but nope no dry cayenne on hand. I found some dried pine pitch and just crushed it into a powder. There was some that was still syrupy/gummy, but I figured the dried would be ore pleasant. I put on some slave, then rubbed the pine pitch powder in, sot he sale would hold it on, then put a bandage over. It hasn't bled since around 3 pm. That is good, since it bled pretty much constantly for 24 hours before. I now have to wash bloody sheets with the washer that caused it.... tomorrow.

  • seeker.nancy - Central Texas
    seeker.nancy - Central Texas Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2020

    @judsoncarroll4 it is likely you bruised the bone so it may take longer for the pain to go away. Comfrey is right on track though to speed the healing. Hope it's better soon! @torey isn't there a remedy for bone bruises? I don't have my books handy but I'm pretty sure I have seen that on one of the Boiron brand blue tubes. It's awesome how little room they take lol.

  • AngelaOston
    AngelaOston Posts: 249 ✭✭✭

    Cayenne stops bleeding. Make sure clean first. It will burn. But it will stop the bleeding. The capsicum contracts the blood vessels in the area.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    A warm poultice of comfrey leaves would be the herbal thing for bone pain. Symphytum would be the remedy you are thinking of @seeker.nancy - Central Texas; homeopathic comfrey.