5 Types Of Wound Dressings & Bandages And When To Use Them

There are certain life skills that everyone needs to have in order to be self-sufficient. Having proper knowledge about basic injury care is one such skill. If you discover yourself in an unfortunate situation where you or someone around you hurts themselves, you should have the knowledge and the necessary first aid material at hand to be able to provide basic relief.

Of course, the first step towards learning about injury care is to learn about the different types of bandages and wound care dressings options available to you and which one to use according to your situation. Whether you need to provide emergency first aid care or carry out injury after-care at home, here is a list of types of bandages and other types of wound dressings that you should know about:

While most of us have the tendency to leave cuts or wounds to heal by themselves, this is actually the incorrect treatment method. However minor your cut maybe, you should always cover it up using an appropriate wound care dressing.

 

Studies show that when a wound is kept covered, the blood cells regenerate faster, leading to a faster healing time. Moreover, an uncovered wound will form a scab which not only slows down the healing process but also increases the chance of scarring.

 

Another important way in which a wound bandage protects the wound is by sealing it off from any outside bacteria or contaminants. This ensures that your wound is safe from infection-causing germs, which can worsen the injury and cause additional health problems. Read more about why the importance of dressings for wounds here: 5 Reasons To Protect Your Wound Using Wound Plasters.

From smaller plasters for minor wounds to larger ones for bigger cuts, wound plasters come in a lot of different sizes. If you want to check out the different options that you can get when it comes to wound plasters, read here: Wound Dressing 101 - For Faster and Effective Wound Healing.

 

Although smaller wounds can be covered up with a self-adhesive plaster, severe wounds need a more customised wound care dressing. The sterile pad that comes directly in contact with the wound, such as cotton gauze, is called a ‘wound dressing’. A wound bandage, on the other hand, goes around the wound dressing, binding it to the skin and keeping it in place. You can use a crepe bandage or fixation tape for the same.

Sleeve braces provide the following 4 important benefits:

• Stability: Offers stability by supporting proper joint alignment
• Reduced Swelling: Provides compression, thus reducing any swelling in the affected area
• Pain relief: By keeping the joint firmly in place and providing support and compression, pain can be alleviated
• Prevents re-injury: Wearing a sleeve brace can not only prevent an injury from worsening but can also prevent re-injury

Anybody who is suffering from stiff, weak, injured or painful joints can use a sleeve brace unless otherwise advised by your doctor.

If you are hurting from the following issues, a sleeve brace can be helpful to you:

• Joint pain
• Chronic knee instability
• Chronic wrist pain
• Chronic ankle instability
• Symptoms of overuse
• Osteoarthritis
• Sprains
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

You can check out these sources to learn more about sleeve braces: Why and When to Use a Wrist Brace?, Benefits of Sports Ankle Brace for Athletes, How to Wear a Knee Brace Correctly- Step by Step Guide

Heat therapy, generally used for pain relief and rehabilitation purposes, offers a wide range of therapeutic effects as it:

• Increases collagen tissue extensibility
• Heat decreases pain and stiffness in muscles of the back, neck and other parts of your body. 
• Reduces wound inflammation and muscle spasms
• Provides essential nutrients to the affected area(s)
• Improves the blood flow and delivers oxygen to the muscles, tissues, and cells

Heat plasters use the idea of heat therapy and are the patches that, when applied to your body, activate your body heat to work on your muscular pains such as back pain, neck pain and other parts.

• Back pain and other muscular pain: If you are experiencing terrible backaches due to injury or strain, you can use natural dressing bandage types such as heat plaster Hansaplast Lion Plaster: Belladonna Heat Plasters for relief. It induces warmth around the affected area with the power of Ayurveda in Belladonna extracts. While applying this heat plaster, you need to clean your back and dry your skin thoroughly for back pain or other muscular pain. Remember to gently remove the protective layer of the plaster and then place it over the affected area to soothe your nerve endings. Check out these 5 most common myths about back pain and make the right lifestyle choices!
• Neck pain: Neck pains can result from stress or any unwanted injury. If not taken care of, the problems in the lower neck can radiate to the shoulders or upper arm regions. A simple solution is to utilise Hansaplast's Lion Capsicum heat plaster. You can place it on the back of your neck and feel relaxed as the warmth around the area is filled by the natural extracts of Capsicum annum Linn (the active component found in chilli peppers). 

Here are some instances in which you can use a crepe bandage-

• functions as a compression bandage that helps in treating swollen veins on legs. 
• provides support to sprains and strains in Orthopaedic situations for the other parts of your body, especially your hands and legs. 
• heals fracture while also preventing further bone damage. In addition, a crepe bandage can help reduce swelling by stopping fluid accumulation at the site of the fracture. 

A crepe bandage exerts pressure to your wounded limb or joint and improves blood circulation to the affected part. It is advisable to cover the injured joint under medical supervision and ensure no tight wound care dressing to stop blood circulation. Learn more about how crepe bandages can provide you with multipurpose pain relief.

In addition, crepe bandages like Hansaplast's Cotton Crepe Bandages can be used as a wound bandage to keep a wound dressing in place and help in accelerating the healing process. 

• Foot plasters provide faster relief by applying quick and gentle pressure on corns and ensuring the corns soften. 
• They have a soft cushioning foam that shields your corns and absorbs and distributes the pressure exerted around the affected area.
• Foot bandages usually experience increased friction and pressure as your feet are constantly in motion. The bandages with good adhesion ensure that they stay put on your corns during the healing process and provide a better grip.

 

There are different types of dressings to choose from on the market. Your choice of foot bandage will depend on the size and location of the corn, infection, allergies and surrounding skin integrity. Foot plasters such as Hansaplast's Corn Plaster treat the corn, heal your foot, and provide long-lasting relief from the pain. Present in the ring of the bandage; the natural Narmalic Amal borrows the power of Ayurveda to help in easing corns.

When applying this bandage, ensure that the corn is dry and clean and place the centre of the foam ring directly onto your corn. It is recommended that you replace your foot plaster after two days for better hygiene.  If you are suffering from foot corns, you can check out how to heal them for pain relief. 

Recovering from injuries can be a time-consuming and painful process. However, having basic know-how about how to treat an injury with the appropriate wound bandage can help you relieve the discomfort. Injuries can be present in various parts of the body. With different types of bandages available, choosing a suitable wound dressing for your injury rests upon the type and size of the wound. Always go with a wound bandage that gives the most optimum conditions for wound healing while protecting the wound from germs.

In addition, it will help if you change wound care dressings gently so that it doesn't cause further damage to your injury. Need more information on wound care dressings for your injuries? You can check out Wound Dressing 101-For Faster and Effective Wound Healing. 

Disclaimer

Please note that the above recommendations are general care tips. Consult a health care professional in case of any uncertainty around wound treatment and healing.

Always see your doctor if a wound is deep, bleeding profusely, or showing infection signs. For diabetic patients especially, proper wound care holds the utmost importance. Do not hesitate to discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor or your podiatrist, even when minor wounds and cuts – especially if they’re on your feet.

The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Although compiled with great care, it is not a substitute for professional advice. If you have or suspect a health problem, consult your doctor immediately. 

For further information regarding Hansaplast products, please contact us via email at customer.care@bdfindia.com.