1. When Wounds Become Infected
Any wound, whether a cut, abrasion, burn or puncture has the potential to become infected if you don't treat and care for it properly. Wound infection can lead to tissue and skin damage, which can then lead to serious complications, so you must deal with any infected wounds immediately. If you care for a wound regularly and keep it clean and dry, the chance of it becoming infected will be minimal. To care for it best, it's important to know the proper procedure for checking a wound for infection.
2. Watch For Redness
Any wound will obviously be red in some areas because the flesh and tissue in the area has been damaged, but there is a difference between normal wound redness and redness from infection. A healthy wound will be red in the immediate area where the skin has been broken or burned; in addition to some redness, there might be some bruising to the skin around the wounded area also. Look for bright redness around the outside of the wound area or redness that spreads in splotches or a thready pattern out from the wound site. This redness could indicate an infected wound.
3. Fluids Can Tell You a Lot
When you change the dressing or apply treatment to the wounded area, look at any fluids coming out of the wound. It is not unusual for wounds to seep a little as the skin repairs itself. Healthy wounds will seep clear fluid for a short period of time, then stop as they heal. Fluids that are cloudy, yellow or greenish in color, or that seep in large quantities or for a large period of time could be a sign of infection.
4. Take Your Wound's Temperature
The temperature of your wound can actually help you know whether or not the wound is healthy. Remove any bandages or dressings and allow the wound to breathe for about ten minutes, then place your hand over the area. A healthy wound should be the same temperature as the rest of your skin. An infected wound will feel hot to the touch and the skin around it will be extra tender.
5. Gauge Your Pain
Pain is inevitable when you're wounded, but the pain from a healthy wound should lessen as the wound heals. If a wound is infected it will continue to hurt and throb long after it should have started healing. Pain from a wound infection might shoot or radiate outward from the wound site and will feel markedly different from the initial pain of the wound. This is an indication that your wound is not healthy and that further treatment could be necessary.
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