Experiencing a wound is painful in itself, but it can be more difficult to cope with the harsh feeling if it becomes infected. According to Fairview Health Services, the most common signs of a wound infection include a warm sensation around the affected area, yellow or green discharge or an unpleasant odor coming from the wound. Other non-topical symptoms may include fever, chills, aches, pains, nausea and vomiting. If you’re experiencing any of these, seek help from a medical professional.

Once your doctor takes care of the wound and potentially prescribes an antibiotic to reduce the infection, it’s important to keep the affected area clean to improve the healing process. Here are a few tips for managing the infection from home, as advised by Medical News Today:

1. Wash the wound every day
Start by washing your hands with soap and water to ensure you’re properly sanitized to work on the wound. Then, expose the cut or scrape to warm water. Use soapy water to wash the skin around the wound. Examine the affected area to make sure there’s no debris in sight; use clean tweezers to remove anything if necessary.

2. Change your dressing
After cleaning the wound, make sure you apply a new dressing daily, as well. Apply a thin layer of topical ointment if advised by your doctor and let it dry. Carefully apply the gauze, bandage or other type of dressing following the instruction of your medical professional.

“Carefully apply the gauze, bandage or another type of dressing.”

If your dressing gets dirty after changing it the first time, don’t hesitate to replace it again. This reduces the risk of further infection and can improve healing time.

3. Call your doctor
Your wound should show improvement over the first few days of proper healing. If you notice that nothing has changed within about 48 hours after seeing a medical professional, get in contact with your doctor. He or she will advise alternate options or ask you to come back in for an examination.

iPAK makes healing at home simple and seamless

Managing an infection from the comfort of your home is easy with iPAK from Innovative Outcomes. The unit-dose packaging is designed to provide each patient with the appropriate supplies and instructions based on each unique situation. With iPAK, you have everything you need to properly take care of your wound when the doctor isn’t around.