Minor cuts on the head often bleed heavily. The reason behind this is the face and the scalp have many blood vessels and they are very close to the skin surface. Usually the amount of blood can be alarming, but more often than not the injury is minor. Nevertheless it is important to know the difference between wounds you can treat at home and head wounds that need medical supervision and emergency treatment right away .
Emergency treatment is necessary when there is a cut in the head, face or the scalp that is deep enough to have penetrated the skull.
If the head is bleeding you should apply pressure to the wound, but there are several types of injury that pressure is contraindicated.
Don’t apply pressure in these cases:
• When the skull is deformed: incl. sunken areas, visible bone fragments or exposed brain.
• When the injury involves the eye.
• When the cut is very deep – i.e. deep enough to pierce the skull.
Stopping the bleeding from a minor wound
What to do to stop the bleeding from a scratch or a wound on the head?
Try to wash your hands well, use soap and water if that’s possible and available. Use latex gloves, if that is possible. If gloves are not available, use several layers of fabric or plastic bags between your hand and the wound before applying pressure. As a last resort, use bare hands to apply pressure.
Remove any visible objects from the wound, but do not attempt to clean out the wound.
Press firmly with a gauze, clean cloth, or the cleanest material that is available in the situation. If there is an object that you cannot remove in the wound, just apply pressure around it, but don’t press it. Wait for the doctor and ambulance.
To stop the bleeding apply steady pressure for 15 minutes, no less. Do not lift the gauze or cloth, resisting the urge check it and peek after only a few minutes to see if the bleeding has stopped. If blood soaks through the cloth you are using, put another one and apply it directly on top of the other (without lifting the first).
If the bleeding has not stopped, simply continue to apply direct pressure over the bleeding wound until medical proffesionals arrive. Do all your best to keep the wound as clean as possible. Try to avoid any further injury to the wounded area.
Mild bleeding usually stops on its own, or slows after 15 minutes of firm pressure.
Be sure to watch for signs of shock. Shock is a life-threatening situation that requires immediate and professional emergency care.
What are the signs of shock:
• The injured person is passing out and losing consciousness
• The injured person is feeling dizzy, light-headed
• The injured person is feeling weak and/or is having trouble standing or staying up
• The injured person is less alert and may suddenly be unable to respond to questions, get confused, anxious, restless or fearful
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