What are Abrasions?

These are injuries that are caused when a person falls on a hard surface. Abrasion injuries are common to sportspeople who might fall or slide onto the ground while playing a sport. Due to the friction, the outer layer of the skin can get chaffed.

To understand an abrasion injury, it is important to know a bit about the structure of the skin. The outer layer which is also the protective layer is called the epidermis. The deep inner layer that provides the flexibility and firmness to the skin is known as the dermis. In an abrasion injury, these two layers get worn out.

When cyclists get an abrasion, they use the term ‘road rash’ for it. Generally, abrasions are shallow scrapes. They do cause a lot of bleeding. But an abrasion can cause a lot of pain as the nerve endings become exposed.

Treating an Abrasion:

• The first step is to clean as well as irrigate the abrasion. You need to pick out the dead tissue, gravel, debris and dirt that might be sticking to the abrasion and the areas around it. We suggest you go to a health care professional, who can do this job well. If you do not have an antiseptic lotion, use cool and clean water to wash the wound. Use clean as well as sterile gauze to wipe the dirt from the wound. Do it very gently, so that the abrasion doesn’t hurt much. Then take another piece of clean gauze to dry the area.
• In the next stage, you need to apply a medicinal ointment and dress the injury. We suggest that you get a topical wound treatment to reduce the pain and stop the bacteria from proliferating and prevent infection. Use enough of the ointment so that the gauze does not stick to the wound. Use a big piece of gauze for the dressing. Remember that is only a temporary dressing, and it is a stop gap arrangement till you reach a doctor’s clinic.
• Once you visit a doctor, he will dress the abrasion and then you need to keep the abrasion clean. The dressing will be changed frequently as per the doctor’s recommendations.
• A tetanus injection would be required to prevent the wound from causing an infection. You could discuss the same with the health professional.

Tip: While cleaning the abrasion, check for deeper cuts or lacerations. These might need immediate medical attention or stitches.