One of the most painful and scary experiences of working with heavy objects, tools or machinery is the prospect of smashing your fingers with them. Considering the prominent role that your fingers will play in your daily life, the pain and suffering will only be heightened by the amount of inconvenience it will cause. When you initially smash your fingers, you will experience a significant shock of pain, followed by a dull throbbing and sometimes even the very scary sight of your nail falling off. However, the nail will be naturally replaced by a new one, so while it may initially take some getting used to, everything will eventually repair itself. Most of the injuries caused when you smash your fingers will lead to a swelling of the tissue and bones lying just under the site of injury. The amount of pain experienced will increase if you notice a collection of blood in the affected area. The stiffness and pain may also prevent you from bending our finger by even the smallest of fractions while an open wound may even need stitches. If dirt has entered the wound; it may be very hard to remove it. Some of the most common scenarios where these injuries are sustained include closing a car door, closing a desk drawer, participating in a few sports such as baseball as well as working with concrete or wooden blocks. You may need to consult a doctor in case of severe pain to establish if any bones have been broken.
In most cases, how long the smashed fingers take to heal will depend on the kind of medical attention afforded to them initially. It is imperative that a correct diagnosis is made as problems like broken bones or deformed fingers will need very special initial medical attention and possibly surgery. The application of ice to the wound initially would help reduce the amount of pain and swelling experienced. Make sure that you elevate the hand above the level of the heart to prevent the accumulation of blood around your smashed finger. In order to remove any dirt from the wound, you may want to clean the finger with the help of some alcohol and wash it with warm, soapy water. You could also try pushing the end of a sanitized needle into the fingernail to create a small hole which will help relieve excessive pressure from the affected area.