what to do for smashed finger??

[Tala]

I shut my truck door on my fingertip yesterday --- it looks awful. I'm gonna lose the fingernail I can just tell coz it's already turning kinda whiteish. The fingertip is swolen, and under the nail is dark blue/purple.
People at work keep telling me that I need to drill a hole in the nail to "relieve the pressure" and let the blood out -- umm yeah touching it hurts like fire right now I really am gonna get the drill after it......

and besides, to me it looks like the blood is under the skin, just like a regular bruise, so I don't think it will come out just from a little hole....

It hurts, ALL THE TIME no matter what I do, so I do want to speed healing...

Right after I did it I soaked it on ice of course, and now Im soaking it in warm empom salts water tonight. What do you guys suggest???

 

[sune42]

Um, I would mostly curse.

I would NOT drill it, that sounds just crazy. Ice, epsom salts, maybe some sort of compress. Hmm, what is good for swelling, let me google.
When to see a doctor:

* Blood collects under the nail, causing increasing pain.
* The finger or toe can't be straightened and bent easily.
* The injury causes immediate damage to the nail, such as a visible tear below the "quick".
* The skin is open and may need stitches.
* There is dirt in the wound you can't wash out.


Read more: http://www.drgreene.com/qa/treating-smashed-fingers#ixzz0nJNrDaP2

This says a Dr may puncture to relive pressure, I would rather a Dr do it than myself, just my .02

This link tells you how to do it yourself. I couldn't read past the first page, so I don't know how good the instructions are. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1936084/how_to_treat_a_smashed_thumb_finger.html?cat=68

eww, and according to my google search there are a few videos on youtube on how to do it yourself. I guess it's not crazy and pretty common.

Good luck!

 

[gpamela3499]

drill a hole for the pain with a sterile pin. It will give immediate pain relief and it does not hurt. I once smashed my finger in a car door when I was eight. My father told me to do this and although I though he was crazy it worked. Doctors do this for brain swelling too. They remove a small piece of the skull to relive the pressure.

 

[Beekissed]

What you have already done is good....ice, epsom salt soak...might want to add some Ibuprofen to your regimen as it is an anti-inflammatory and will help with the swelling and throbbing. My son tried the hole in the nail thingy and it really didn't relieve the pain at all, even though blood was released from beneath the nail.

I would continue with the ice(no longer than 20 min. on), epsom salts, Ibuprofen and you might want to elevate this hand on a pillow if you are seated or lying down. Just takes a little time and you may have even broken the tip of your finger and this will make it very sore for some time.

If you have to use your hand a lot during your days, you can try buddy-taping this digit to the next to help relieve the pain of using this finger. The next finger sort of splints it and takes the bulk of the work load from the injured finger. It really helps with broken fingers and toes to use this method.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
um yeah touching it hurts somethin awful, so don't say it won't hurt,
but its true the pressure is bad....worse than the initial smash

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Nope, not broken. I broke the finger next to it when I was 14 and I'll never forget that pain. This is bad, but not THAT bad.

 

[Tala]

ok for the record, I think I find a drill bit easier than a pin or nail + hammer, but I'm fairly incapable of using the drill with my left hand.....lol

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

What I do is to heat a straight pin/needle with a lighter, wipe it off, then gently push it through the nail. The hot pin/needle will melt a hole through the nail. It does not hurt to do it this way. Instant relief. The pressure from blood under the nail is indeed painful.

 

[Tala]

Well I made a hole with a 1/16" drill bit and while not all the blood came out, a good bit did.
My fingertip is good and swolen in the inside still, but I must say that the throbbing HAS lessened.

Thanks for the help guys, coz I thought my friends at work were certifiable

 

[DTchickens]

I smashed my finger with a hammer awhile back, "how?" I'm not sure. I was just nailing up the "No trespassing sign" and all of I sudden I went blank and when I came to realized I had hit my finger. The finger was on the other side of the sign, and I'm pretty accurate with a hammer which is how I've yet to figure out how I did it. I was suggested to soak it in vinegar though, which I did just to see- worked excellent but did kind of leave a smell behind that took a week to get rid of

. Finger still is flatter than the rest though.

-Daniel.