It is quite common to get a scrape, a paper cut or may be a small wound while doing your day-to-day tasks. However, if that cut or wound causes you to bleed, you should try everything to stop it. Learning how to stop bleeding can come handy in certain situations. You can actually try many natural remedies to get good results. Let's find out what you can do about it.
First Aid to Stop Bleeding
In most cases, your body will use its healing system to stop bleeding quite quickly. If that is not the case, you can certainly try some ways to get better results.
Before trying anything, you should keep the following points in mind:
- Use soap and water to wash your hands thoroughly.
- Wear medical gloves if possible. Otherwise, you can also use several layers of clean cloth to apply pressure on the affected area.
- Be sure to apply direct pressure to the wound and keep the area elevated.
- Use your bare hands when you cannot find anything else to apply pressure to the wound.
Stop the Bleeding
After first aid, also learn how to stop bleeding quickly with simple steps:
- It is important to lie down and keep the injured site elevated.
- You can try to remove any visible objects in the wound, but do not try to handle anything that seems difficult to remove.
- Cut clothing around your wound and remove any jewelry that you may be wearing. It will be hard to remove any ring or other jewelry pieces once the area starts to swell.
- Apply direct pressure on the affected area for full 15 minutes. Keep it elevated all the time. Do not try to have a look at the wound after every couple of minutes. You should not remove the pressure for full 15 minutes.
- If the blood seems to come out of the cloth, take another one and put it on the wound without removing the first one.
- While applying pressure, check if there is still any object in the wound. Do not apply pressure directly on the object.
- Avoid using a tourniquet to deal with the bleeding. You do not need it when you have mild bleeding, which usually responds well to mild pressure.
Remedies to Further Reduce Bleeding at Home
Applying pressure to the affected area usually works great to stop the bleeding, but sometimes, you need to try something else as well. Here are some ways to learn how to stop bleeding at home.
1. Make Use of Ice
Applying ice to the wound may help stop bleeding in no time. Icing the area is a good idea because it supports the clotting process. Moreover, it also helps alleviate pain a bit. Ice can help those ruptured arteries to constrict and eventually close off, but ensure that you do not apply ice directly to an open wound. Wrap a couple of cubes in a towel and then apply it to your wound.
2. Use Tea Bags
You may not be aware of this remedy, but tea bags work great to stop bleeding. Whether you opt for green tea or use regular tea bag, you will get great results. Just moisten a tea bag with water and place it over your wound. Apply gentle pressure and keep it in place for 10 minutes to stop bleeding.
3. Apply Some Ground Coffee Powder
Wondering how to stop bleeding? Try ground coffee. Ground coffee powder works by supporting the clotting process. You may want to avoid using it in case of serious injuries, but minor scrapes will respond well to this remedy.
4. Make Use of White Vinegar
Thanks to its astringent properties, white vinegar may help stop bleeding quickly. It constricts your ruptured arteries and accelerates the healing process at the same time. It also promotes the clotting of blood, which will again play a role in restrict blood flow to the affected area. Simply soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it directly on your open wound. It may sting a bit, but it serves the purpose well.
5. Use a Combination of Salt and Water
You can always use a saline solution to clean your wound and stop bleeding as well. Take a small bowl of water and mix a tablespoon of salt in it. Now, pour this saline solution onto your affected area. You can also use the same solution to deal with lacerations inside the mouth.
6. Make Use of Cornstarch
Using cornstarch correctly can also help stop bleeding quickly. It accelerates the clotting process and helps dry up your wound. Take some cornstarch and sprinkle some of it on your bleeding wound. You can wash it off once the bleeding stops. Applying it only once would be enough to stop bleeding from small cuts and bruises.