Bite Wound On Finger

[wolf63]

The middle finger on my right hand is very painful. I am a nail biter and I have a small wound/hole at the side of he nail.

Is there anything t hat I can do to prevent it getting infected. I had the same issue a couple of years ago and I ended p on antibiotics.

If it gets worse I will phone 101 but meantime is there anything to help?

[barry1010]

You could try putting antiseptic cream on it and keeping it covered.

[anneasquith]

Go to the pharmacy, they are very underused .

[Old_Geezer]

101 for a minor break ? Sems over the top. You were probably just unlucky last time.

Just stick a plaster over it to stop getting into contact with nasties.

[Old_Geezer]

Seems !!!

[wolf63]

Thanks.
I don't have any antiseptic cream so I will go to the pharmacy later and see what they suggest.

[wolf63]

OG, it is definitely heading towards an infection. It is red and tight around the finger.

I am a repeat offender.

[barry1010]

Well stop it! Get some of that foul tasting liquid you paint on your nails

[naomi24]

Woof, try painting your nails with nice nail polish every day and scrubbing them gently every time you wash your hands. Although I never chewed my nails to the extent that you do I did have a tendency to nibble a little bit but I wanted nice nails and was given that advice years ago. It really works - and I think it's because by doing that you consciously look after your nails. Please try. You're injuring yourself!

[naomi24]

Sorry, Wolf, not Woof.

[Redhelen72]

Wolf do a bread poultice on it.
Warm milk till hot not scolding, put a bit of the heel of bread on it, let the milk soak in, put it straight on the finger and bind, as it cools and dries it will suck any nasties out.

[Rosetta]

Wolf, do I remember correctly that you are diabetic. If so phone your GP for advice

[wolf63]

Update

I was going to try RH's poultice idea but I don't have either bread or milk in the house.

Rosetta - Yes, I am Diabetic and should know better

I went to the local pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me Magnesium Sulphate paste to put on the wound. If it doesn't draw the poison out I have to go to see my GP.

I got the paste free - something to do with NHS Scotland allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication.

[barry1010]

Probably costs about 30p. Every house kept a jar of it at one time, usually in a form called blackjack drawing ointment - we used it a lot to pull splinters out.

[choux]

Well done, wolfy. Take care, that paste can work quickly, I was prescribed it for a whitlow, it worked quickly. Keep the area sterile.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/herpetic-whitlow/#:~:text=A%20herpetic%20whitlow%20can%20appear,than%20your%20usual%20skin%20tone

[barry1010]

We called whitlows something else when I was little, can't for the life of me remember.

[TheWinner]

barry1010, stepmother's blessing ???

[barry1010]

No, TheWinner, but interesting

[cashier]

Hang nails barry?

[wolf63]

Whitlow was the word that I was looking for this morning.

It doesn't hurt quite so much as it did this morning. The last time this happened I had to have two courses of antibiotics and a doctor stock a needle in it to release some of the pressure.

I have been a nail biter for so long that I doubt if I could stop now.