Want to know how to remove a stuck ring from a swollen finger? This sneaky medical trick could just save your finger and your wedding ring. One of the most common injuries in the world is a hand injury. In normal, day-to-day situations, a broken finger, gash, cut, or sprain to your hand is frustrating. (I know, I have a tendency to mangle my hands on a weekly basis… and I have the scars to prove it!) But in a survival situation, the condition of your hands and feet can be the deciding factor between success and failure.
And if you wear a wedding ring, things can go from bad to worse very quickly. As your finger swells, the ring cuts off circulation, and if you don't get the ring off fast, you could lose a finger. My buddy Nick from prepcabin.com sent me this video that he ran across. It shows a very interesting and effective way to remove a stuck ring from a swollen finger. This emergency ring removal will surely surprise you.
Remove a Stuck Ring | Quick and Easy Procedure
Tools Needed:
- Stretchable string from a surgical mask
- forceps
The procedure is fairly simple, which involves only a few easy steps. Here we go:
Step #1. Wrap the string around the ring finger.
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Wrap the elastic string around the ring finger nice and tight until it's close enough to the ring. A stretchy material is good for pressing down on the swollen tissues. Leave a bit of time for the compression to happen.
Step #2. Allow the loose end of the string to go under the ring.
Once the string is close enough to the ring, use the forceps to poke it through underneath. Make sure to do this nice and easy without injuring the finger. Do this until the loose end is on the other side.
Step #3. Rotate the string backward until it's off along with the ring.
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Rotate the string in the opposite direction, maneuvering to remove it. This will spiral the string and the ring around the finger until it moves across. It holds the soft tissue down and gradually gets the ring off the swollen finger.
The ring is off. The ring and finger are both intact. Remove a stuck ring. Problem solved!
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From Nick :
“Every now and then, a ring gets stuck on my finger, and it’s pretty scary. I live about 20 minutes from an ER, but I also don’t want it cut off.
A trick I’ve used for years is soap or another lubricant to slip the ring off, but it can still be excruciating to remove a stuck ring, and it can damage the tissues of your finger. And if swelling is too bad, it doesn’t work at all!
I came across this video on Facebook, and I wanted to share it with you now.”
Watch this video by ALiEM on how the ring removal is actually done:
That was pretty cool! Just imagine how many people have gone through the same problem with their rings. One look at this short video and your eyes are wide open in amazement. So there's no need to worry about how to cut a ring, and you can forget about soap and water or other ineffective hacks. All you need to do is find an elastic band and you're all set.
Do you find this sneaky medical trick of removing a stuck ring an amazing thing to learn? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in August 2013 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
