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SALT LAKE CITY — The world of health and medicine can be confusing to many parents. But Nurse Suzy is here to help clarify some of the issues that are important to you and your family.
This week's question: How do you relieve pain from a smashed finger? Answer: Smashed fingers can be very painful. This is because extra nerve receptors are located at the tips of your fingers and thumb to provide an increased sense of touch.
It's important to know that smashed or injured tissue takes longer to heal than some broken bone. Some people smash their fingers so extensively they need to have the finger or tip of the finger removed in order for it to heal. In the medical field we call them crushing injuries.
Most smashed fingers are painful but do not need immediate attention from a doctor. These are the injuries that the following directions will help:
- Put ice on the injury. This helps to reduce swelling and slow the tissue bleeding within the injured finger.
- Elevate. The finger needs to be above your elbow, and the elbow needs to be above your heart for elevation to do much good. The higher you elevate the injury the less throbbing pain you will feel.
- After 24 hours, apply heat. Heat helps the body absorb the swollen fluid in the injury by supplying extra circulation to the injured area.
- If you have any sign of infection or black tissue you need to seek help from your doctor immediately. Infection near a joint is very serious and should not be overlooked. If you have blood accumulating under your fingernail that is causing pain, you may relieve it by heating a sharp metal object and placing it on your fingernail with a little pressure. The desire is to penetrate the fingernail with a small hole so the pressured blood accumulation can be relieved.If the blood re-accumulates, you did not make a big enough hole and the hole has sealed itself off again.
I have done this to myself, and though it is painful it does provide great relief. A doctor will use this technique as well but will make the hole a little bigger than you could at home, thus preventing the hole from re-sealing itself.
If a smashed finger appears deformed or the injury encompasses more than just the tip of the finger, seek emergency medical assistance.
Suzanne Carlile, "Nurse Suzy," has been a nurse since 1982. Her main focus is critical care and nursing education. She holds a master's degree in nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, and a member of NNSDO Intermountain West Chapter.
