Why does it hurt to get salt in your wounds?

Question

wow. I ask a perfectly normal question with good intent because I am interested in knowing the answer to it and what do I get?
why would I sniff glue, someonecanbme?

j o s, did I say I would want to get salt in my wounds? Noooo

Answer 1

Salt absorbs water by dissolving into it. This is why roads are treated with salt in the winter (where it gets cold that is). The process pulls water out of cells, and also takes salt into the cells. The salt, when dissolved, forms ions in the cytoplasm of the cells. These ions disturb the electrical balance of the cells, and cause pain receptors to fire randomly. This sends signals to the brain that say "ow, that hurts, maybe I better stop salting my torn and bleeding flesh" or something similar.

Seriously, is all about the salt dissolving into the cells and messing with their internal chemistry

Answer 2

Think about it. Our bodies contain a certain amount of salt and it is needed for it to function. Salt is good for flavoring and perserving foods. It's almost a natural that salt would also heal wounds. Have you ever had a sore throat? In the old days, your grandmother would give you a glass of warm-to-hot water and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and tell you to gargle. The properties in salt are healing to the body. Unfortunately, direct application to an open wound will cause some stinging. We used to make a salt paste and use a linen cloth to cover it. The the healing begin....

Answer 3

Salt reacts negatively with pain receptors because of the concentration of ions in salt. It causes more signals from the wound to be sent to the brain, thus producing more pain.

Answer 4

because salt is caustic and dries the edges of the wound. if it's already sore then it hurts more.

BTW - salt will cauterize a wound and actually help clean it. Very painful, though! A common cure of canker sores is a salt water solution mouth rinse.

Answer 5

bcos salt reacted to the wounds. Don't do that as it's going to hurt like hell.. wash the wounds with the salt water to stop infection.

Answer 6

Because salt and sugar both cause a response when making contact with a nerve. Citrusy fruit juice does the same thing and it's high in sugar.

Answer 7

its the balance of acid and base. salt is acidic and blood is i forgot the actual term but its the opposite. the two are basically opposites and don't mesh very well.

Answer 8

Yes, I think neat salt would sting.

Answer 9

for the same reason it hurts to get a pair of scissors thrust into your eye-it doesn't belong there.

Answer 10

Bcuz it cleans em out and that burns