Thus, if this oxidizing agent is in high enough concentration, the result is a halt to normal cellular processes resulting in the death of the pathogen. So why the controversy today on whether you should use hydrogen peroxide on wounds? As just mentioned, this oxidizing agent will also kill healthy human cells in sufficient concentration.
This interruption can also potentially lead to increased scarring, see: How Scars Form. This is all not to mention that if the oxygen gas produced by the large amount of hydrogen peroxide coming in contact with the catalase enters your blood stream, it can circulate throughout your body leading to countless medical problems like heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolus.
It may be that excess oxygen enters the capillary beds themselves, or that H 2 O 2 hydrogen peroxide molecules get absorbed into the bloodstream and then, in such relatively high concentration, create the oxygen embolus.
Whatever the mechanism, the potentially life threatening complication remains. So in the end, thanks to the propensity of hydrogen peroxide to cause damage to healthy tissue, combined with the very slight risk of oxygen emboli after pouring it on a cut, the use of hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds is usually not recommended anymore, presumably much to the relief of six year olds the world over. As for what you should do when cleaning wounds, most doctors will point out simply using normal saline, a little elbow grease, and some over the counter topical antibacterial products will have a much greater chance of preventing infection then the hydrogen peroxide would anyway.
I know too many people who ended up with bad infections when using the ascribed washing and antibacterial cream treatment of cuts, including myself. HP always works and has cleared up raging infections. Yes, I do have scars though not bad considering how bad some of my gashes have been but considering the alternative in this day of flesh eating bacteria, I will take the scars. The point of the article was to let you know that it CAN cause issues in the body and show how it scientifically happens.
What you do and what works for you is none of their concern. The main problem with the conclusions in this article are that the supposed damaging effects are so poorly supported by evidence. Keeping such wounds cleaned out and bacteria-free while they heal from the inside out on a free-ranging cow or horse is extremely difficult.
Experience with the various livestock I have kept over the years illustrated this nicely. A cheap syringe no needle full of HP used to clean out the wound a couple times a day made all the difference between a festering mess and a wound that healed up nicely.
This same technique was no doubt quite useful on humans in the pre-antibiotic days. And given the rapid expansion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria today, I would say we would be remiss not to keep this treatment in our arsenal. The reaction is so sensitive that it can reveal blood stains on fabrics even after they have been laundered.
In one case, a pair of washed jeans with no visible stains gave a positive test with luminol on both knees. Neither the Kastle-Meyer test nor the luminol test can identify whose blood is involved, but once a stain has been determined to be blood, traces of DNA can be extracted and an identification carried out.
In the example of the jeans, DNA analysis was able to exclude the blood coming from the owner of the jeans. Luminol analysis does have drawbacks. Its chemiluminescence can also be triggered by a number of substances such as copper-containing compounds and bleaching agents.
Had the jeans been washed with a detergent containing a bleaching agent, the blood would not have been detected. Criminals aware of this have been known to try to wash away traces of their crime with bleach. The result is that residual bleach makes the entire crime scene produce the typical blue glow, which effectively camouflages any blood stain.
And if you want to see a really impressive glow, spray a piece of liver with a luminol test solution. Enter your keywords. Sign-Up Here. Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Should you use hydrogen peroxide to clean cuts and scrapes? Why does hydrogen peroxide fizz when you pour it on a wound? What are fibroblasts?
Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Are you ready to experiment with hydrogen peroxide? Ask a friend or family member to help you with the following activities: Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local grocery or department store.
Head to the healthcare aisle and look for hydrogen peroxide. You'll probably find it in a brown plastic container.
Expand your search to look for other products that contain hydrogen peroxide. How many can you find? Hint: you'll probably find some in the dental section, as well as the cleaning products section!
If you want to have some fun experimenting with hydrogen peroxide, jump online to learn how to perform the Elephant's Toothpaste experiment. You'll need just a few simple materials and help from an adult friend or family member.
No elephant required! Got a potato and some hydrogen peroxide? That's all you need to perform this Catalase and Hydrogen Peroxide Experiment. The sliced potato contains damaged cells leaking catalase, simulating a cut or scrape on your skin. Pour on the hydrogen peroxide and watch it fizz just like it would on a wound! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. The blood and other living cells found in a wound use the catalase enzyme to attack the hydrogen peroxide and convert it to water H2O and oxygen O2.
In its low concentration, hydrogen peroxide will start a bubbling action which helps remove debris from the wound and work to kill bacteria cells by destroying their cell walls. Here is where it all gets tricky. Although hydrogen peroxide is thought to be a good first aid antiseptic, the controversy remains on how beneficial it actually is in the long run.
As a wound care specialist, I see wounds all the time that are stuck in a certain phase of wound healing and the wound struggles to progress forward. What it comes down to for me is giving the wound the best chance possible at healing and ultimately wound closure. After years of research, we now know that the caustic nature of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol another commonly used first aid antiseptic can destroy healthy cells and therefore affect wound healing.
If peroxide is used, it is definitely not recommended on a long-term basis. The bactericidal effects of the hydrogen peroxide are great to clean the wound and kill bacteria initially, but this same benefit comes with a price in that the peroxide can damage skin cells and angiogenesis which is the process of new vessel formation. So for me, the benefits do not outweigh the risks. I see a lot of complex and chronic wounds and it is my job to not only determine the wound etiology but also deduct all aspects of what may be causing the wound to not improve, as well as manage everything that may delay wound healing.
People on certain medications will have delayed wound healing potential as well as people with other co-morbidities such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
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