Handy tips on injection aftercare for babies, adults as well as self-injection

Last year, the sweetest video of a doctor injecting a baby went viral - the doctor poked the child multiple times and played with him at first and then quickly injected him and the child was still smiling at the end of the video. The doctor’s magic hands notwithstanding, injections are a painful business. And no matter what the nursing staff say, an injection makes us all feel a teensy bit anxious - irrespective of our age.   Happily, there’s something to be done for every kind of injection pain. [caption id=“attachment_5060591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Getty[/caption]

Consider the ouchie

After getting an injection, your arm or tush could be hurting, red, swollen, itchy or warm at the injection site. If you get a rash, ask your doctor to check for allergies and prescribe a suitable medicine. Infection at the injection site is very rare but possible. Check the site if you feel uncomfortable or if the injection site feels warm even after a few hours have passed. (If you just got your child vaccinated, take him or her to the doctor if he/she becomes more fussy than usual in the hours after getting the injection.) Having said that, a little bit of discomfort is normal. After all, the doctor’s just introduced a foreign substance — the medicine/vaccine — into your/the baby’s body.

Some injections hurt more

Of course, some injections hurt more than others. (Remember the last time you got a Tetanus shot?) Depending on the size of the needle, injections (and their ouchies) are of three different types. 1. If the injection is given in the fat layer just under the skin, the needle is shorter and it hurts much less. For example, insulin injections as well as EpiPens (for emergency allergy medication) have shorter needles. Your doctor will likely give these injections in the tummy, on the upper arm or front of the thighs. 2. Tetanus shots, most injectable vaccines as well as injections for rheumatoid arthritis are given in the muscle, so they hurt more. Our muscles have a lot of blood vessels. And more blood vessels equal faster, more efficient absorption of the medicine. The butt, deltoid muscle in the shoulder and (the back of) the outer thigh take the brunt of these (pro-tip: see if your doc can rub the injection site with a piece of ice to make it numb first). 3. Intravenous injection: we all know about IVs. They administer medicine straight into the bloodstream.

The fix

Injections are an extremely important medical device: these humble steel-and-plastic plungers are the most effective way to deliver most vaccines, medicines, and hormones (like insulin) to the body. Naturally, that’s why we endure them. The next time you’re due for one, don’t put it off. Instead, focus on these simple ways to ease the pain and look after the injection site afterwards:

Rest the area

Give proper rest to the injection site for 24-48 hours. The needle and the drug both initiate a mild reaction as soon as they enter the body. Leaving the area undisturbed for one to two days reduces the discomfort.

Never rub the area

Itching and pain might provoke you to rub or press the area, but massaging the injection site is a complete no-no. Doing this can cause the injected drug to accumulate in the superficial tissues, especially in the case of intramuscular injections where you want the drug to reach deep down into the muscles to bring relief. In the case of vaccine shots, rubbing increases skin reactions.

Apply a cold pack

Wrap some ice cubes in a cotton cloth and press it gently over the area that hurts. Your skin should go numb temporarily, and the ice should stop any inflammatory activity at the injection site to provide relief. Health professionals recommend 15-20 minutes of cold therapy, repeated every two to three hours a day. Warning: Do not apply anything warm to the injection site, unless your doctor specifically says so.

Medicines

If the pain is unbearable, an over-the-counter painkiller can come to the rescue. Paracetamol may be taken occasionally to deal with the pain and/or mild fever.   However, avoid taking aspirin without consulting your doctor first. Aspirin is a blood thinner in addition to being a painkiller and fever medicine.

Look out for bizarre reactions

In case you see sudden swelling, rash, bumps or hives around the injected area or anywhere on the body after injection, call for emergency help. You could be having an allergic reaction to the drug.

Post-injection care for babies

Babies often cry and get a fever after getting a vaccine. This is normal and necessary. Vaccines save us from some of the most deadly illnesses known to man - from measles to Diptheria. Health-care professionals and moms around the world follow some of these additional after-injection care tips to soothe their babies after a particularly bad prick:

• Cuddle the baby: they will cry less when you give them love.
• Feed the baby: a child focuses on one job at a time. By feeding them, you will distract them from pain.
• Sugar helps: for babies below six, sweet reduces itchiness. Dip a pacifier in a sugar solution and make them suck on it.
• Ask for medicines: in case your child develops a fever, talk to the paediatrician about baby paracetamol or other medicinal options.
• Check the order of vaccines: In May 2009, JAMA Pediatrics — the American Medical Association’s peer-reviewed journal for child medicine — published an article titled “Order of Vaccine Injection and Infant Pain Response”. In it, the writers (most of them paediatricians) argued that vaccines hurt but they hurt less if you give them in a particular order (ask your doctor if they can do this for your child).
• Opt for combination shots: to reduce the frequency of injections, ask your doctor about combination shots. Vaccines for several diseases are given in the combined form, too.

Also read:   **_Diabetics may soon be able to ditch the needle, and swallow a pill instead_**

Insulin injections - a special case

A person with insulin-dependent or type-1 diabetes (where the body is unable to make insulin) or uncontrolled type-2 diabetes (body secretes less insulin or becomes resistant to the secreted insulin) need daily injectable insulin. Though the insulin needle is extremely fine, repeated injections at the same site can cause certain changes in the fat tissue underneath.

• For this, check the site for any changes before injecting.
• Change sites regularly.
• Never reuse the needles: they can become blunt over time and cause more pain.

For more information, please read our article on   Diabetes: Types and Management_._

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.