DD has an infected hangnail...

[LizzyBee]

What can we do short of going to the doctor? Her finger is red and a little warm, but no streaks up the arms or anything like that. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[fivetails]

I'd try some soaks in sea salt + warm water. That was always my go-to for irritated/infected piercings years back [don't have them anymore] and it usually worked quite well.

 

* I'm no doc though, it's just a suggestion ~ if there's a possibility of serious infection/etc, you may need to have it looked at by someone who knows his badly infected fingers.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Put a little bit of tea tree oil on it. Mine get infected all the time. No big deal.

[LizzyBee]

Thanks, ladies. By the time dd went to bed last night, her finger was pretty swollen. She's a little worried because the last time we went to Indiana to visit dh's relatives, we had to take his aunt to the hospital for 2 days of IV antibiotics because she got blood poisoning from an infected hangnail. Who would've thought a hangnail could cause so much trouble? We will try a saltwater soak today and I'll dh look for some tea tree oil.

[MariannNOVA]

I'd try some soaks in sea salt + warm water. That was always my go-to for irritated/infected piercings years back [don't have them anymore] and it usually worked quite well.

 

* I'm no doc though, it's just a suggestion ~ if there's a possibility of serious infection/etc, you may need to have it looked at by someone who knows his badly infected fingers.

 

Put a little bit of tea tree oil on it. Mine get infected all the time. No big deal.

 

We've done the two steps above and it has worked well.

 

Mariann

[gardening momma]

I try to trim the hangnail the best I can, then put neosporin (or store brand version) on it, covered with a bandaid.

[Tammyla]

I've used antibiotic ointment on them, but they weren't swollen or hot. I hope she's feeling better.

[Ali in OR]

I had an infected hangnail on my big toe this summer (I learned never to pull at one no matter how tempting!). When it hurt so badly that I thought I might need to go to the urgent care, I called my doctor and his over-the-phone treatment plan worked. It was basically to soak my foot in hot water several times a day. Within a day or two, it was clear that this was going to work as the pain was much less severe.

[LizzyBee]

Thanks, everyone. She put neosporin on it last night, and she has soaked it in hot water today. It's less swollen and doesn't hurt as much. I can't convince her to put salt in the water, and since she's 16, I'm not going to force the issue. I would if it were getting worse instead of better, but since it's getting better, it's not worth the argument.