Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Seany on 19/05/2007 13:41:44

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: Seany on 19/05/2007 13:41:44

It always hurts when you have a graze or a cut and then you go and have a warm shower.. And it stings.. Why?

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: _Stefan_ on 20/05/2007 02:28:34

Maybe the nerves in the injured area are still very sensitive/damaged so the warm water overwhelms them. Probably a similar reason to why wounds hurt when touched.

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: JimBob on 20/05/2007 04:38:53

Jimmy is totally ignorant, but an educated guess it that the absence of skin or the cut in it causes the nerves to be laid bare, thus exposing them to the over stimulation of the pounding water.

I believe _Stefan_ is correct.

Now let Chris come on and blow this out of the water.  [:-'(]

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: kdlynn on 20/05/2007 05:45:48

see i would have guessed cleaning out the start of an infection as the reason why. but what do i know?

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/05/2007 06:05:39

WATER NEVER HURTS MY CUTS, IT IS ALWAYS THE SOAP FOR ME. EXAMPLE, I STEPPED ON A BROKEN GLASS THE OTHER NIGHT, I WASHED IT WITH WATER IT WAS FINE, BUT WHEN I SOAPED IT BOY DID IT HURT! lol Sorry bout the caps! Does water alone hurt everyone else or am I weird?

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: _Stefan_ on 20/05/2007 06:39:37

Warm water hurts my wounds, soap or vitamin E cream sometimes do, but cold water doesn't.

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/05/2007 06:57:49

That is interesting I wonder if it depends on the type of wound, depth and all?? I have no problem with warm or cold water!

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: lightarrow on 20/05/2007 10:40:36

Quote from: Seany on 19/05/2007 13:41:44

It always hurts when you have a graze or a cut and then you go and have a warm shower.. And it stings.. Why?

I really don't know, but maybe it's because of the different osmotic pressure between plasma and water.

Title: Why does it hurt if we have a cut and go into a shower?
Post by: Seany on 20/05/2007 12:03:34

Mmm OK. It doesn't hurt after you've been in the water for a while, because we get used to it..