What is Bone Fracture
According to statistical figures everybody suffers from a bone fracture at least once in their lives. Bone fractures are a very painful experience and one wishes never to have it again since they cause you a huge discomfort. A fracture is a medical terminology used for a broken bone. A fracture happens when your bones are not able to sustain more pressure on them and they break or crush. Fracture can be moderate to serious sometimes in rare cases even risking the lives of the patient. Fractures occurring in childhood can be cured more easily than fracture in adults. However at old age it becomes very difficult to mend bones since at that age the bones are very delicate and cannot handle any pressure and give in. Fractures occur commonly during an accident or a fall and they must not be neglected. Delay in treatment will cause serious damage to the bone thus rendering it useless for ever in a few cases.
How is bone fractures treated?
Fracture treatments depend on the category in which they fall. Sometimes you may suffer from stress fractures which occur due to the wear and tear or over use of the bones. They can be avoided by taking care and not over loading yourself with work or any other kind of stress. Stress fracture occurs more when the person is suffering from weak bones or bone deformity. That is when they tend to fall more since their bones cannot support their weight and then the bones break. Also depending upon the break fractures need to be treated. In some cases when they break the skin, and are damaged irreparably, you need to put a rod or a disc to support the body part. Sometimes external support is also required like pins and rods to support the bones. In these cases the person is handicapped for the rest of their lives. Fractures can take from weeks to months to heal properly and regain their strength back. This of course also depends on the food intake since bones heal faster when you intake more of calcium and iron.
Precautions to be taken during bone fractures
First aid care is of utmost importance in treating fractures. You need to take care in the first few minutes of the injury. A slight move that goes bad can damage the break quite irreparably. This is why it is often advice to take expert advice or wait for the paramedics to arrive. You should limit the movement as much as you can when the break or fall occurs. This will reduce your chances of any further damage. A makeshift sling can be used to take care of the injured body part since it is better to reduce all movement. Painkillers are usually prescribed for the treatment course as there is unbearable pain in the first few days of the fracture which reduces as the time passes. A cast is not usually to be wet during bathing or indulging any activity related to water as it may loosen up the cast and slows down the healing process. Hence plastic bags are to be wrapped over the cast while taking a shower.
