Health Tip: When to Bandage a Wound

(HealthDay News) -- Knowing how and when to bandage a wound can help speed healing.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions:

• Hands, knees or other areas likely to get dirty or be rubbed by clothing should be bandaged with an adhesive strip or sterile gauze tape.
• Change bandage daily to keep wound clean and dry.
• Don't bandage a wound that isn't likely to get dirty and won't be rubbed and irritated by clothing.
• A wound that can safely be left without a bandage may dry and heal more quickly.
• Use a special bandage (occlusive or semi-occlusive) if your doctor suggests it on a wound that covers a large area, to keep it moist and reduce scarring.