Wounds

A wound is a break in the skin, the first line of defense against infection. A wound is a type of injury skin is torn, cut or punctured or a blunt force causes contusions.

CAUSES

Accidents or injuries usually cause wounds, but can they can have any of the following causes:

• Surgery
• Heat or chemical burn
• Temperature extremes (frostbite)
• Radiation

TYPES 

Open Wounds:

1) Incised wound - they are caused by clean sharp edged objects.

2)Lacerations- Irregular tear like wound that is caused by some blunt trauma.

3) Abrasions -These are superficial wounds in which the topmost layer of the skin is scrapped off.
4) Avulsions - These are types of injury in which a body structure 

• Avulsions, injuries in which a body structure is forcibly detached from its normal point of insertion. A type of amputation where the extremity is pulled off rather than cut off.
• Puncture wounds, caused by an object puncturing the skin, such as a splinter nail or needle.
• Penetration Wounds caused by an object such as a knife entering and coming out from the skin.
• Gunshot wounds, caused by a Bullet or similar projectile driving into or through the body. There may be two wounds, one at the site of entry and one at the site of exit, generally referred to as a "through-and-through."

Closed Wounds:

Closed wounds have fewer categories, but are just as dangerous as open wounds. The types of closed wounds are:

• Contusions, more commonly known as bruises caused by a blunt force trauma that damages tissue under the skin.
• Heamatomas, also called a blood tumor, caused by damage to a blood vessel that in turn causes blood  to collect under the skin.
• Crush injury, caused by a great or extreme amount of force applied over a long period of time.

RISK FACTORS

• Age- Older people are at higher risk
• Poor general health
• Steroid use
• Radiation and chemotherapy
• Diabetes
• Smoking

SYMPTOMS

• Bleeding or oozing of blood
• Redness
• Swelling
• Pain and tenderness
• Heat
• Possible fever with infection
• Loss of function (or mobility)
• Oozing pus, foul smell (in infected wounds only)

Homeopathic treatment:

Calendula officinalis, prepared from the tall, wild marigold i.e. `the herb of the sun`, is the chief homoeopathic medicine for wound dressing. Calendula is not an antiseptic in a literal sense, but germs do not thrive in its presence. When a fresh wound is dressed using Calendula lotion, germs can be kept away. Even when wounds are already badly infected, it can be seen offensive purulent discharges becoming clean and sweet smelling in a day or two. However, Calendula is not the only external wound-remedy.

Hypericum and Ledum are also useful in treating wounds, each having its own indications. Hypericum lotion is particularly effective in relieving pain of injured nerves. Ledum lotion is helpful for punctured wounds and sprains, especially if the injured part remains cold and numb. It should, however, be noted that Arnica lotion is an irritant and should not be applied to broken skin.