There are a variety of things that can cause an injury to your lip. This could come in the form of an accidental fall or a blow to the face. Athletes in contact sports are at increased risk of lip injuries during practices and games. When one occurs, you will need to apply quality first aid principles to help minimize the pain, reduce the chances of suffering complications and assess the need for professional care.
Gently wiping away stray blood with a warm, wet washcloth can help you get a better look at the lip injury. If you have blood or other unwanted material in your mouth you can rinse it away with lukewarm salt water.
Any swelling, can be reduced by applying a cold compress on the area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. If you don’t have a cold compress on hand, you can improvise one by placing crushed ice in a zip-top bag wrapped in a washcloth or tea towel.
You can help control any bleeding by lightly pressing sterile gauze to the wound. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 20 to 30 minutes, it’s likely means the lip injury needs treatment by a trained physician.
If you live in the Bartlett, Illinois area and you’ve suffered a significant lip injury, that requires further insight, you can call 630-837-2779 to speak with a member of Dr. Mark Prosniewski’s staff.