When the skin is injured, the risk of pus forming during infection is great. For many people, pus is one of the most disgusting bodily fluids, mainly because it is a mixture of dead cells, dead tissue, and bacteria that the body tries to expel to speed up the healing process. However, don't worry because pus can actually be cleaned with the help of sterile equipment independently. If the wound does not heal and continues to ooze pus afterward, immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment to restore the wound condition more quickly.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Self-Cleaning Wounds
Step 1. Wash and dry your hands
Use a mixture of hot water and antibacterial soap to wash your hands, and make sure you scrub the entire surface of your hands and the area between your fingers. After that, dry your hands with a clean, dry towel, instead of a towel or hand towel that has been used by someone else.
Always clean the wound with clean, dry hands! Only in that way, you will not introduce more germs and bacteria into the injured area
Step 2. Evaluate the condition of the wound in detail before touching and cleaning it
Observe the injured area to identify the location of the discharge. If you can find the location of the pus discharge, please clean it yourself at home. However, if the pus turns out to be in an abscess or an area of skin that is protruding and covered, it's best to ask your doctor for help to drain it.
Take the time to evaluate the condition of the wound so you don't accidentally touch an area that isn't oozing pus and is healing. Be careful, touching an area that is healing is at risk of re-opening the wound, and making germs and bacteria more susceptible to entering new areas
Step 3. Compress the wound with a warm pad or soak the wound in clean warm water
In the method of compressing the wound, simply soak a small, clean towel in a bowl of warm water. Then, place the towel on the wound for a few minutes without pressing. After a few minutes, take a towel and in very, very gentle motions, wipe the wound to remove any pus that oozed out during the compressing process. Meanwhile, in the soaking method, fill a bucket with warm water, then soak the injured area for a maximum of 20 minutes. After soaking, lightly pat the area with a clean towel to remove any pus.
- Do this process once or twice a day.
- If the wound is sutured by a doctor, never immerse it in water! Instead, simply compress the wound and follow the doctor's instructions to treat and clean it.
Step 4. Clean the injured area with soapy water
Pour a small amount of liquid antibacterial soap on the surface of the wound, then rinse the soap thoroughly. While rinsing, rub the wound surface with very gentle movements to make sure it is completely clean of bacteria, dust, and dirt contained in the pus. Do this once a day to keep the wound clean and heal faster.
- After cleaning with soapy water, lightly pat the area with a clean, dry towel. Make sure the wound is completely dry before dressing or treating it.
- If the injured is your child or another child, forbid them to touch the wound which is being drained and/or which has not been bandaged.
Method 2 of 3: Undergoing Medical Treatment
Step 1. Go to the doctor if the wound becomes infected and does not heal
If the wound becomes infected, seek immediate medical attention to prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of your body. Some of the symptoms of infection that should be checked by a doctor are the appearance of a dark red color around the wound, the formation of an abscess in the wound, the discharge of large amounts of pus from the wound, and the appearance of fever or feeling unwell.
While it's important to learn how to properly treat a wound, you also need to be able to identify when it's time to seek medical care. In particular, if the wound has been self-cleaning for a few days but isn't healing and continues to produce pus, it's probably a good time to call a doctor
Step 2. Clean the wound with the help of a medical professional
The doctor can help drain the pus with the help of a syringe to drain the wound. If the abscess is very large, the doctor may need to make a small incision with the help of a scalpel or insert a small tube to speed up the draining process. Then, generally the doctor will cover the wound with gauze and a medical bandage that you must change independently every day.
If the injured area is very painful, the doctor may apply a local anesthetic to the painful area to numb it while the cleansing procedure is performed
Step 3. Follow the doctor's instructions for cleaning the wound at a later date
After cleaning the pus from the wound, the doctor should give you further treatment instructions that you need to apply. Generally, your doctor will give you instructions on how to change the bandage and clean the wound as the healing process progresses. Follow any instructions given to prevent pus from forming again and the wound to heal properly.
The instructions given may vary, depending on the location of the wound and the severity of the infection
Step 4. Take antibiotics to treat the infection
In many cases, taking antibiotics is the only thing that needs to be done to clear the pus and heal the wound. Generally, doctors will prescribe topical antibiotics to be applied to the wound surface, or systemic drugs in pill form that must be taken every day.
- If the wound is very infected, you will most likely need to take antibiotic pills to stop the infection and prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of the body.
- Follow the doctor's instructions regarding how, dose, and duration of use of antibiotics. Remember, antibiotics must be finished, even if the wound has completely healed, so that the infection you experience can completely disappear.
Method 3 of 3: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Step 1. Do not touch the wound with a cotton swab or similar device
Even if you want to do it to get the pus out of the wound, this behavior carries a very high risk of re-opening the wound and making it infected with more bacteria.
That is why, you should only clean the outermost surface of your skin independently. If you feel you need a more detailed cleaning process, don't hesitate to ask your doctor for help
Step 2. Do not squeeze the wound
While it may seem like an effective way to drain and clean a wound of pus, understand that this assumption is wrong. Pressing or squeezing the festering area will actually push the pus deeper into the injured area instead of spewing it out. In addition, this behavior will also make the wound more open and therefore more at risk of infection.
Instead, gently treat the wound that will heal and allow the body to heal itself
Step 3. Do not touch the pus and/or touch any other object after touching the pus
Touching the wound with dirty hands can make the infection worse. Also, since the production of pus may be a symptom of a contagious infection, holding other people's objects with pus-filled hands can spread the infection.
- For example, make sure each family member wears a different towel. This will reduce your risk of transmitting the disease to others.
- Since touching other objects with dirty hands can help spread the infection, wash your hands frequently.
