Why Does Paper Sliced Finger Feel Very Painful?

Medical Video: Why Paper Cuts Hurts So Much

It seems hard to believe that a thin piece of paper can cause suffering so much to the human body. But of all the small stumbling blocks in life, incisions due to paper slicing are one of the worst. Do not believe? Just ask those who have refilled paper photocopies or were betrayed by their favorite books when flipping too fast.

So, why is the paper sliced so painful, even if the wound does not penetrate the skin?

There are more pain receptors at the fingertips than in other body parts

There are more pain receptors embedded in your fingertips than anywhere else in your body. These nerve endings, called nociceptors, work as a security mechanism and are tasked with alerting the brain - through the sensation of pain - about temperature changes, exposure to harmful chemicals, and pressure that can damage the skin, which you realize if you have ever tried to hold something very hot.

"The fingertips are a means for us to explore around, how we can do small, delicate tasks," said Hayley Goldbach, a dermatologist from the University of California, Los Angeles, to BBC. Therefore, it is only natural that your brain will devote more groups of nerves at the fingertips to continue to monitor the potential threat to your hand, because the hand is the main vehicle that the body has to interact with the world.

Even so, a paper-cut wound will also be as painful as if you cut it on your face or on your genitals. You also have so many nerve endings in both parts of this body. But now try the same thing on your back or legs. Still going to get sick, but it's likely that the pain will be more tolerable. This is because the distribution of nerve endings in these places is far less dense, so it is unable to send as many pain signals as the fingertips to the brain.

Your fingers prove to be sensitive, so slices of paper can be very painful. But now, another question is ... why can a piece of paper be more painful than some other sharp objects, such as being pierced by a sewing thread, for example?

Why are paper-cut wounds more painful than scratching a knife?

A sewing thread, or even a knife, has a tip that tends to be flatter and sharper than a dull but flexible edge of the paper. When the knife cuts your skin, the stab wound will leave a relatively clean, blatant wound, compared to paper slices, which will flex a little and do more microscopic damage to the skin. The edges of the paper look straight and smooth like a razor, but if you zoom in, it will look more like a saw blade. When you cut paper, the edges of the paper actually divide, tear, and tear through your skin, like a saw. Ouch ...

Plus, the paper slices penetrate deep enough to be able to divide the top skin layer and reach the pain receptors, but they are still superficial so they don't produce a lot of bleeding. That is, the blood does not immediately clot and starts healing the wound. In addition, getting hurt by slicing paper does not make you "paralyzed" or unable to continue any activity afterwards. Open wounds are attracted and tightened every time we use our hands to move. Your nerve endings remain vulnerable to exposure to danger, so they will continue to send pain signals to the brain - delay healing and extend the pain until the skin is completely repaired.

To further increase your predisposition, the paper leaves a residue of chemical particles at the location of the slice, which further irritates the wound. However, the presence of bacteria and other microscopic germs on paper cannot explain the sensation of pain, at least not when the incision occurs. Bacteria can cause infection if the wound is not treated, it can itself be painful, but it will take less time for the effects of the infection to start developing.

That is why it is important to immediately wrap the wound due to sliced paper and protect it from outside elements. If not, you will suffer more pain. But, one of the most important tips? Always be extra careful around the stationery.

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