Can I use wound care cream for redness and swelling

This issue really cannot be generalized. Non-infectious minor post-traumatic redness and swelling can be cured faster with the use of nursing cream, but careless application of redness and swelling caused by infection or allergies will worsen the condition.

A while ago, a 10-year-old boy from my neighbor downstairs fell on his knee while riding a balance bike. The skin was scratched and some tissue fluid leaked out. The next day, there was a small circle of swelling around the wound. It felt slightly hot to the touch, but there was no pus or blisters. It was normal post-traumatic inflammatory edema. I asked him to clean the wound with saline and apply a thin layer of wet wound care ointment containing ceramide and panthenol. Within three days, most of the swelling disappeared, and no obvious scab left any mark. The redness and swelling in this situation are originally a manifestation of the autoimmune system being "at work" after the skin barrier is damaged. The care cream is equivalent to putting up a breathable protective cover for the skin, which not only blocks external dust and bacteria, but also locks the humidity of the wound, helping the barrier to repair quickly, and the redness and swelling will naturally disappear quickly.

But I have also come across a lot of messy graffiti. Last month, a reader came to me to complain, saying that he had a red and swollen boil on his chin, which hurt when touched and had white tips. He took the care ointment that I usually use at home to clean knife cuts and applied it on it. As a result, it turned out that he had a red boil on his chin the next day. His chin was so swollen that even his gums hurt. When he went to the hospital for a checkup, he found out that it was a Staphylococcus aureus infection. The care cream he used was designed to seal and promote healing. Instead, it covered the infection tightly, causing the bacteria to multiply faster. It would be strange if it didn't aggravate the infection.

There are currently two schools of thought on the Internet arguing fiercely. One school says that it is best not to apply anything on redness and swelling, and the other school says that care cream is universal and can be applied to any redness and swelling. In fact, they are essentially unable to distinguish the types of redness and swelling. In addition to infection, you should not apply it blindly, and you need to be careful of redness and swelling caused by allergies. I have seen people wearing metal necklaces whose necks were allergic and swollen. They were so itchy that they applied the wound care ointment at home. As a result, the iodophor contained in it actually aggravated the allergy, resulting in a dense red rash, which took almost a week to heal.

In fact, ordinary people can easily judge whether it can be applied at home. If the redness and swelling appear within 24 hours after being bumped or scratched, and there is no pus, soft and fluctuating feeling, and no itching or rash, you can first apply a little care ointment behind the ear to test the sensitivity. If there is no problem, apply it thinly around the wound. Don't apply it too thickly and cause panic. If the red and swollen area has pus, is itchy, or is swollen for no reason, don't try blindly. See a doctor first to find out what the problem is and then deal with it. This will save you money and suffering.