Jonas DeMuro, MD
Board Certified Critical Care Surgeon
wikiHow's Editorial Process wikiHow partners with over 1000+ experts from a wide range of fields to ensure our content is accurate and based on well-established research and testimony. Content Managers conduct interviews and work closely with each expert to review information, answer reader questions, and add credible advice. Learn more about our editorial process and why millions of readers trust wikiHow.
Co-authored Articles (39)
Symptoms of a Broken Knuckle & What To Do About It
Figure out if your hand is broken, fractured, or dislocated If you’ve injured your finger, you may be wondering just how serious it is (and whether you need to go to the ER or not). Don’t worry. Even if your knuckle ...
How to
Determine if a Cut Needs Stitches
Yikes! You've got a cut and it looks pretty nasty. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the open wound is in need of stitches, which help it heal properly and reduce scarring. If you're not sure whether or not it deserves stit...
How to
Attend to a Stab Wound
Painful, gory, and potentially deadly, a stab wound requires immediate treatment to alleviate the bleeding and pain and stabilize the victim until they can be examined by medical professionals. Attending to a stab wound ...
Taking a Shower After Surgery: When & How to Safely Wet Your Wound
Strategies for showering with stitches, Steri-Strips, or staples Simple activities of daily life can quickly become frustrating when recovering from a surgical procedure, and showering and bathing are no exceptions. Depe...
How to
Treat Broken Ribs
Research suggests that cracked ribs may heal on their own in 1 to 2 months, but broken ribs with a jagged edge usually require immediate medical treatment. Generally, broken ribs occur after a direct blow to your chest o...
How to
Sleep with Broken Ribs
Sleeping with broken ribs can be painful, especially if you can't sleep in your normal position due to the pain. To make it easier to sleep with broken ribs, you will need to adjust your sleep position and find ways to r...
How to
Fix a Dislocated Shoulder
Dislocated joints, particularly of the shoulder, are painful injuries that cause immediate short-term disability — movement of the joint is essentially impossible until it's relocated or reset. The shoulder is especial...
How to Safely Perform an Emergency Air Puncture (Tracheotomy)
What you need to know about this life-saving maneuver Choking is lethal and is a leading cause of accidental deaths. In the most drastic of situations, if the Heimlich maneuver fails, a tracheotomy, or cricothyroidotomy,...
How to Exercise with a Broken Leg
When you have a broken leg, keeping fitness at the forefront of your life can take a little bit of modification. Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can exercise while your leg is in a cast or you’re using crutches...
How to
Remove a Sebaceous Cyst
A “cyst” is a closed or “sac-like” structure that is full of semi-solid material, gases or liquid. Sebaceous cysts occur due to the buildup of sebum, an oily substance that keeps your skin and hair moisturized. M...
How to
Treat a Broken Pinky Toe
Your pinky toe is the smallest toe on the outer edge of your foot and can become injured due to tripping, falling, stubbing it on something, or dropping something on it. A broken toe may appear swollen and bruised, and i...
How to
Know if You Have Toxic Shock Syndrome
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare but serious condition caused by staph or strep bacterial infections. It's often associated with using extra-absorbent tampons, but regardless of gender and age, anyone can come down w...
How to
Sleep After Shoulder Surgery
Shoulder surgeries are major medical procedures that typically lead to pain, swelling and significantly reduced mobility while the body heals over the course of a few months. Regardless of the type of shoulder operation ...
How to
Treat an Infected Blister
Medically-reviewed and natural ways to treat and care for an infected blister If you've ever broken in a pair of shoes or worked in the garden, you're probably familiar with getting blisters. Blisters are small bubbles o...
How to
Heal from a Collapsed Lung
Experts say that a collapsed lung (called pneumothorax) often causes sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. A collapsed lung happens when air escapes out of your lung and into the space between your lung and chest wa...
How to
Recognize the Symptoms of Toxic Poisoning
Perhaps you realize you may have eaten a poisonous food or come into contact with a harmful substance. Or maybe you took an extreme dosage of medication that may be toxic. Toxic poisoning can occur through swallowing a t...
How to
Treat a Puncture Wound
Did you know that puncture wounds account for five percent of the admission reasons for children going to emergency centers?Dr Lewis First, Vermont Children's Hospital, Puncture wounds occur when a narrow, pointed objec...
How to
Treat Tachycardia
Research suggests that a tachycardia episode may be a one-off event and cause no symptoms or complications, but if it happens frequently then it may be a sign of a systemic disease or abnormal heart function. Tachycardia...
How to
Treat Tendonitis
Tendinitis is inflammation of the tendons, which are the tapered ends of muscles that attach to bones. Tendons are in action every time muscles contract and bones move. As such, tendonitis is often the result of overuse,...
How to
Recognize a Petit Mal Seizure
Experts say someone having a petit mal seizure (also called an absence seizure) may appear to be staring blankly into space for a few seconds before returning to normal. Petit mal seizures are typically caused by a short...
