Injuries and illnesses can happen at any time, to you or a loved one. They may be minor, from a stubbed toe, or severe, like a major heart attack. If a friend or family member is hurt or ill, you should know how to help. Learning basic first aid can help you minimize the injury or illness until proper medical care arrives.
That’s why it’s so important to learn basic first aid skills. To build on the information you learn here, consider taking a first aid course. First aid courses teach you both what to do and what not to do in a variety of situations–from bee stings, to burns, to heart attacks.
So, what is first aid? First aid is a help provided that may sometimes rely entirely on the skills of non-professional rescuers. It’s anything a person with no medical experience can do to maintain life while they wait for more professional help to arrive.
First aid is the immediate care given to someone who has had a sudden injury or illness. It is usually rendered by the layperson at the scene of an accident, though trained first-aiders such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics may also provide first aid. Most training guidelines recommend that untrained people assist injured or ill people for only a few minutes before seeking help from a trained professional.
As the first responder, it is often necessary to administer quality first aid until professional help arrives. Unexpected accidents and trauma can happen anytime; knowing how to handle them effectively is important. Even though there are hundreds of first aid courses available in the market today, you do not have to enroll in one right away. This article will provide you with what you need to know about giving your loved ones quality first aid.
First aid is a part of emergency treatment given to a patient suffering from an acute injury or illness until more specialized medical help arrives. Although initially a term for the assistance given to the wounded in combat zones, first aid is now more commonly used to refer to the general use of simple and inexpensive techniques that can be applied by almost anyone for treatment of minor injuries; in some situations, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation, also called chest–compression–respiration), may be considered first aid.
For Emergency Situations
Safety is a top priority for all of us, whether we are firefighters or not. All too often, people are injured or killed in a fire because they made the wrong choice about safety. In the next few paragraphs, we will be looking at some danger signs that you should be on the lookout for when fighting fires.
If the scene is safe, don’t move the injured person. Only move them if it’s absolutely necessary. Example: If a tree branch is falling above the victim and will hit them in a few seconds, you must move them to safety. Don’t just yell at them to get out of the way. If they can’t move out of the way, roll them up in a ball and put your arms around them, tucking their head under your chin as best you can. Then cover your face with your hands or arms to protect both you and the injured person.
When you come upon someone who isn’t breathing, don’t panic. First, make sure that person is unresponsive by tapping them gently on the shoulder and calling their name. If they can’t respond or react to your touch, they’re unresponsive . Next, it’s critical to check for breathing. The only way to do this is to look for chest movement.
A person who has sustained a serious injury or illness requires immediate attention. This need is not limited to people in hospitals either. The lack of essential care at home can lead to deaths every year. If you have any doubts about what to do when dealing with an injured or ill person, then I suggest you contact the emergency medical services and seek medical advice immediately.
If anyone has ever been stung by a bee, they know how painful and frightening it can be. Bee stings are particularly dangerous for anyone with an allergy to bee stings — their immune system over-reacts to the sting by releasing histamines, causing itching, swelling, hives, shortness of breath, and sometimes loss of consciousness or even death. While the majority of people develop immunity to bee venom after repeated stings, a few people remain sensitive their entire lives. And yes, that includes those with bee sting allergies who have previously only been exposed to un-stung bees.
If a bee ever gets inside your clothing, it will most likely sting you. A bee’s natural instinct is to defend its hive and in order to do this they will often attack the source of danger, which in this case they perceive to be you. Honey bees can sting more than once since their stinger isn’t barbed (unlike wasps and yellow jackets), so if one is attracted to the color of your shirt it might decide to give you a couple of pops even though you’ve already had a bee sting.
If this happens and you see the stinger still under the skin, try not to panic. Bees have an enzyme in their venom called hyaluronidase that breaks down cell walls, which is why a bee sting stings for so long and can cause swelling and redness for up to 24 hours.