First Aid Advice for Gardening

Treatments for splinters

Splinters are easily picked up while gardening from plant thorns or rough wood. They pose a high risk of infection, as organic plant material can carry a lot of bacteria. If you get a splinter, remove it carefully before cleaning the wound and applying a washproof plaster.
 

How to safely remove a splinter:

• Clean a pair of fine-point tweezers using boiling water or a sterile moist wipe.
• Use the tweezers to pull the splinter out in the opposite direction from how it went in.
• Gently squeeze the wound so that blood washes out any debris that may remain inside. 
• Clean the wound with soap and water or a sterile moist wipe.
• Dry the wound, cover it with a washproof plaster or sterile dressing, and monitor it for signs of infection.

 

Treatments for joint pain

Gardening for prolonged periods without breaks can lead to joint and back pain. Stretching regularly and changing activities throughout the day will help to prevent straining your joints and muscles.

Most back pain is the result of muscle inflammation. It can, however, come from a slipped disk or sciatica – in these cases, you should seek professional medical advice.
 

First aid tips for back pain:

• Use an ice pack to reduce inflammation and soothe pain. Remember to cover your ice pack with a cold therapy sleeve to reduce the risk of injury. Cold therapy is effective for the treatment of acute injuries.
• Use a hot pack to relieve joint stiffness or muscle spasms. Heat therapy is effective for soothing sore muscles.
• Do stretches to relieve back pain. 

 

Treatments for cuts and wounds

Minor injuries happen often while gardening, and we sometimes tend to leave them until we’re inside before we tend to them. Dirty tools, soil, gardening gloves and compost bags all carry bacteria that can cause infection in even the smallest wounds.

Clean and cover wounds as soon as they happen. Clean your wound with soap and water or a sterile moist wipe from your first aid kit. Cover the wound with a washproof plaster or sterile dressing depending on its size. Wear clean gloves while you’re gardening to protect any cuts – or to prevent them from happening in the first place.

If you have a bigger cut or wound, clean it then apply pressure to slow the bleeding. Apply a sterile dressing and secure it in place with a conforming bandage. Monitor the wound and seek medical advice if there are no signs of improvement.

Regularly change the plaster or dressing to keep the wound clean and properly protected.
 

Beware the signs of infection:

• The area surrounding the wound is swollen and red, or feels warm
• The wound isn’t healing
• There is pus seeping from the wound
• You have a temperature or feel generally unwell