Applying soil further complicates wound condition: Physicians

KABUL (Pajhwok): Physicians say that applying soil on an injured part of a body further deteriorates the condition of the wound and even could cause death.

Some people, however, suggested applying soil on a wound is good for recovery.

Some people in some parts of the country told Pajhwok Afghan News that they applied soil on their wounded part of the body to stop bleeding and get recover.

Raz Mohammad, a resident of Balabulok district in Farah province, said: “If soil is applied to the wound, it will recover if Allah is willing, it will be beneficial, most of the time people apply Mumlae a natural substance which is found in the mountains.”

Abdul Naseer, a resident of Bakwa district, said: “Yes, when a man gets injured soil is applied on the wound it is beneficial, it halts bleeding, people are 100 percent confident that applying soil could rehabilitate the wound.”

Nawab, a resident of Nad Ali district, said: “Yes, our elders did this, we apply soil on a wound, most people in our country did this, the wound stop aching.”

Abdul Rahim, a resident of Alishang district, said: “I also saw some people apply soil on a wound for rehabilitation purpose, some people apply other herbals and apply soil as well, the plus point is that it stops bleeding.”

Dr. Jannat Gul Sahak, an internal diseases specialist at Kabul University, told Pajhwok Afghan News applying soil on a wound has not an advantage but it has consequences.

He said: “Maybe people will put it in order to stop the bleeding and heal the wound quickly, or there will have other reasons, but by doing this, the wound will become sored and cracked, the wound will get microbial an attack later and the person get unconscious, if not treated quickly, then it will cause death, this condition is called tetanus disease, the wound may become chronic, remain bad for a few days or weeks and do not heal.”

He said when the wound gets microbial it could bar person from working and besides health issues, it could cause financial losses.

If any part of a person’s body is injured and the blood is flowing from it, then first of all, it should be tightly wrapped with a clean cloth or bandage to stop the bleeding, after that the wound should be washed with serum, salt water or clean water

He said, if the wound is small, it is treated with serum or clean water.

Research from the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found in a study that applying soil could stop hard bleeding because a substance called Silicate existed in the soil which is good for halting bleeding.

The source adds that in severe cases and in remote areas where health care and wound dressing facilities are lacking, sterilized soil can potentially be used to stop fatal bleeding from wounds.

But the source added that the researchers also warn that there is a high risk of infection from unsterilized soil, and in the next plan, it will be investigated whether silicate can prevent the microbes in the blood that are present in the soil

Dr. Ihsanullah Hakimi, the Infectious and contagious diseases specialist in Kabul, said the World Health Organisation did not approve the UBC research thus he could not recommend to the people that soil is helpful in the treatment of wound.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News a substance called Silicate is comprised of Slsisim, Oxygen and a metal that play vital in animals’ body development.

If soil is directly applied on a wound then there is the possibility of infection entry into the human body and it could lead to Tetanus and another kind of diseases in the human body, he added.

He said Silicate is difficult to separate from soil, so we cannot directly say that it (soil) should be used on wounds.

Dr. Hakimi said people in the far-flung areas applied soil on their wounds because they

have no awareness about its consequences and they should avoid doing this.

Outcome: Some people believe that applying soil on the wound is beneficial but physicians say this could not treat the wound but could further complicate the wound and has consequences.

nh

Views: 130