10 Basic First Aid Tips Everybody Should Keep in Mind

This month is bringing the health awareness campaign with World First Aid Day, an annual campaign to promote the importance of first aid training in preventing injuries and saving lives which is on 8 September.
Having the skills to act immediately in an emergency situation can help save lives and reduce the impact of injury, but the knowledge also helps prevent injuries in the first place. Find out 10 basic tips that can save anyone’s life in terms of emergency.
1. For minor Cuts and Scrapes, at first use gentle pressure to stop the bleeding, clean the scrape with water, but avoid getting soap in an open wound. Apply an antibiotic and cover with a bandage.
2. To treat heat exhaustion, Pour fluids and place a cool cloth on the forehead or back of the neck. Make sure to monitor symptoms to ensure heat exhaustion doesn’t turn into heat stroke.
3. The first thing to do is ensure the burn victim is to look for a piece of clothing and make it wet. Use it to compress the burnt area to minimize and prevent damaging the skin further.
4. If anyone is bitten by Bee, remove the bee stinger and apply a cold pack or cloth to reduce swelling. Also Hydrocortisone or lidocaine creams can help minimize pain and itching.
5. If you observe nosebleed, first lean the head slightly forward, so blood doesn’t run down the throat. Gently press the nostrils together with a tissue to stop the bleeding, hold the nose for at least 5 minutes, If it hasn’t stopped, gently squeeze for another 10 minutes.
6. To treat a person with diarrhoea, administer a diet comprising lots of fluid. Keep doing so until you see signs that the they are improving.
7. If you get a sudden sprains, Ice is the most effective first aid treatment. Apply some ice blocks on the affected area. If this does not stop the swelling, refer them to a professional for specialized care.
8. When you touch poisonous plant, the rash that appears on your skin is caused by an oil in the plant. Run a warm bath and add some colloidal oatmeal or baking soda to ease the itch. Initially apply calamine or hydrocortisone cream but remember not to scratch.
9. To treat mild headache, take a long bath, apply some basic massages, cool down your place and drink lots of fluid. If it doesn’t help, take some basic medication and ask help from medical emergency.
10. Stock up on some first aid supplies like bandages, gauzes, cotton wool, thermometer, some basic medicines and antacids so that in case of emergency, you can find things easily to treat.
First Aid is one of those tricky skills that you rarely ever need or suddenly you do. Even small medical accidents can be stressful, but knowing how to react can keep a minor problem from taking a turn for the worse.
> Shatabdi Sarker Poushi