How to soften plaster to remove. Tips for people with a fracture: how to wash with a cast on the leg? Swelling of the legs due to wearing a plaster cast
Gypsum is a white or yellowish powder, a mineral from the sulfate class. It is obtained by calcining gypsum stone (lime sulphate) at a temperature not exceeding 130°C.
Gypsum provides reliable fixation, quickly hardens. Due to these qualities, it is actively used in medical practice, being the basis of a plaster cast.
Why put on a plaster cast?
Medical workers apply a plaster cast to ensure immobilization of the injured area of the body. Gypsum is used for bone fractures, disorders of the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.
Thanks to the plaster technique, it is possible to fix the damaged area for further recovery and treatment.
How to remove a plaster bandage yourself?
You can release the cast part of the body on your own only when you are sure that the fracture has healed. To verify this, it is best to take an x-ray.
When removing, you should be extremely careful and attentive. It must be remembered that the muscles have weakened - and any sudden movement can cause pain.
For independent release from gypsum, you need: warm water, a towel, scissors with rounded ends.
To remove the plaster without medical assistance and special tools, it is necessary to soften it. To do this, you need to wet it well with clean warm water, put a wet towel on top, and let the plaster soak for 15-20 minutes. After you make sure that it is sufficiently soaked, you need to slowly and carefully cut the bandages and plaster. In order not to damage the surface of the plastered part of the body, the plaster should be cut off in small pieces.
What to do after removing the plaster?
Immediately after removing the plaster, it is necessary to wipe the skin area under it, clean water with the addition of a small amount of alcohol. Then, with a soft dry towel, blotting movements should dry it. To avoid irritation and dryness of the skin, it is necessary to lubricate the skin with a moisturizer.
But it is better to seek medical help!
First, an x-ray should be taken. It is necessary in order to know for sure that the fracture has healed.
Secondly, after consulting with your doctor, you need to start developing the joint, gradually increasing the load, following all the instructions, doing massage to restore blood circulation.
And, thirdly, it is necessary to observe which doctor. based on products that contain a large number of calcium: dairy products, meat, broths.
After a broken arm, we may encounter certain difficulties regarding the rules of hygiene. With a cast on the arm, it is difficult to cope, but this problem can be solved. It is important to follow all the recommendations and then, you can completely wash yourself without wetting the bandage. If moisture accidentally gets on the plaster, the skin will begin to itch. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor if it gets wet.
In the article we will tell you how to wash with a cast on your hand. To do this, we recommend using one of the proposed options or contacting the help of UniTrade http://protec-gyps.ru/ispolzovanie/.
Ways to wash with a cast on your hand
1. We buy a waterproof case.
This is a simple, but very reliable way to protect gypsum from moisture. The cover saves time. Talk to your doctor, he will tell you which model to prefer.
The arm cover is a long sleeve, which is made of a material that does not allow water to pass through. It is easy to put it on the cast, securely fixing it on the arm. The product has different sizes, it is designed for different plaster bandages.
Some cases come with a special pump. With it, you can pump out the air so that the unique invention tightly fits the hand, protecting it from moisture.
2. We use cellophane.
These can be ordinary bags or garbage bags. They are more durable. These improvised items are suitable if waterproof covers are not at hand.
In order to protect your hand in plaster from water during the shower, tightly wrap the bag around your hand, you can do it in several layers at once and fix everything with tape. Before water procedures, be sure to check the tightness of the cellophane, look for holes that can let water through and seal them with a layer of adhesive tape and adhesive tape. This will allow you to take a shower, but you need to do this quickly, trying not to wet your hand if possible.
3. Polyethylene film.
Wrap your hand tightly to protect it from moisture. Secure the polyethylene product with an elastic band or tape for reliability. This is a cheap method, but very effective, reliable.
4. Towel.
We wrap the plaster bandage with a layer of towels. They will help prevent water from penetrating the arm in the cast. But this method is not the most reliable. Therefore, keep the bandage away from water. If moisture gets on the plaster, infection, skin irritation, and severe itching are possible.
5. Keep the bandage aside.
Try taking a bath but keeping your arm in a cast at a distance. You can try to do this in the shower, but the option is not the easiest, requiring skill and skill. Do everything carefully, because even a small amount of moisture can damage the bandage.
6. Wipe off with a wet sponge.
If you are afraid that water will get on the cast, simply dampen the sponge and wipe yourself. It won't replace hygiene procedure, but you can still get cleaner. We do the whole procedure over the bathtub or sink, it is more convenient. Then, pat dry with a towel.
Using one of the proposed methods, you can take water procedures and don't get your hand wet in a cast. Choose for yourself the most convenient option and, if possible, enlist the help of family or friends. Take precautions until the cast is removed.
For the first few days, keep your arm or leg in a cast on a soft surface, such as a pillow, to help relieve severe swelling. The plaster must not be wetted, as this will weaken it and your bone may not heal properly.
How to wash your hand with plaster
You can use a plastic bag to wrap it up completely. Use duct tape or rubber tape to seal the top and bottom of the bag to make it as waterproof as possible.
Alternatively, you can buy special coatings for plaster casts to keep them dry. For more information, contact your local doctor or emergency room. If your cast gets wet, contact the hospital for advice as soon as possible.
Always remove the bag after washing as soon as possible to avoid sweat, which can also damage the cast.
Even if it is very itchy and itchy, resist the temptation to scratch anything under it, as this can cause various complications. The itching should go away in a few days.
How to wash with a cast on your leg
4 practical tips:
- Wrap a towel around the cast and place your foot in a plastic bag large enough to completely cover it. Secure the end with tape (eg sellotape), do not dip your foot into the tub. Leave it on the edge if possible. During washing, do not point the shower head at the affected limb;
- you can wash in about a week. But, be sure to wrap the plaster with a film. To prevent water from getting on the leg with plaster;
- for swimming, you can buy protec-gyps, then put it on your leg with plaster, then close it tightly, and swim calmly;
- before bathing, wrap the leg with plaster in a large bag like garbage and insulate it well with adhesive tape on top so that it does not open during bathing. keep not down, just overhang. For example, substitute a low stool and lower your leg with a cast there, for the first time it is desirable that someone help you in the bathroom.
A broken limb is a very unpleasant situation that can plunge anyone into a state of depression and depression. And when you realize that, despite the presence of a cast on your leg, you still need to maintain personal hygiene, a completely logical question arises: “How to wash with a cast on your leg?” Let's try to understand this difficult situation.
Isolate gypsum from moisture
Getting water on the gypsum is bad. Firstly, because the fixator can soften and cease to perform its function, which will cause difficulties with proper bone fusion. And secondly, this is bad, because the moisture that got under the plaster a high degree likely to cause an infection in the body.
So how in general? Can I bathe with a cast on my leg? Yes, you can. But when washing, gypsum is best isolated. How to do it?
The first thing that comes to mind is to use an ordinary large plastic bag that will cover the entire gypsum with a margin, and wrap it over the place where the gypsum ends with tape or electrical tape. Such a package may well be a dense garbage bag.
You can also use cling film, tightly wrapping it with gypsum. You need to make sure that there are no holes left in the film, so as not to risk the plaster fixative.
How to wash with a cast on the leg in a more advanced way? Use special shoe covers or covers for plaster. Such devices, which make life easier for the victim of a broken leg, are sold in pharmacies.
It is worth remembering that, regardless of the means of isolating the gypsum from water, the edges that can leak, despite all the tricks, are best covered with a towel, which, in case of moisture penetration, will absorb the liquid into itself, preventing it from reaching the fixative.
How to wash?
Even when the leg is wrapped in a bag or other device that protects the cast from water, washing as usual is quite inconvenient and dangerous. It would be best if during this period of time someone can help the patient during water procedures.
How to wash with a cast on your leg in the shower? One way is to place a chair, stool, special stand, inverted basin, or any other device in the bath or shower that will allow the patient to sit down. In this case, it is better to stick your leg out of the shower or bath and gently wash yourself with a shower hose. If there is no hose, then you can use a ladle or mug for ablution.
How to wash with a cast on the leg yet? Even with a cast, you can take a bath with your foot on the side, and also wipe yourself with a damp sponge, towel or antibacterial wet wipes if the cast was applied for a relatively short time.
How to wash with a plastic cast on the leg?
Plastic plaster is in some way a miracle of modern medicine. Firstly, it is many times lighter than its outdated, actually gypsum, counterpart, and secondly, you can wash with many of these gypsums without fear of damaging this fixative and getting water under it. However, one can argue about the ingress of water under the plastic retainer, and therefore it is better to play it safe and still wrap it with a film, protect it with a bag or cover. With this question, of course, it is better to contact your doctor. It's just that the retainers are different: some let moisture through, some don't.
But plastic gypsum is not put on everyone, because in some cases it is classic gypsum that contributes to the healing of an injury better.
How to wash with a cast on your leg on your own when there is no one to help?
To do this, it is necessary to minimize the possibility of falling and getting additional injuries. You will have to use crutches or a walker, as well as rely on well-fixed objects in the bathroom (sides, pipes, if they are firmly attached to their places). A special portable shower hose, sold in a plumbing store, will also help facilitate washing.
Precautions
A fracture is a serious injury, which is better not to joke with if you do not want to aggravate the health situation. Therefore, it is best to consult a doctor immediately, as soon as possible, if the plaster becomes even slightly wet or moisture gets under the plastic retainer.
