8 Must Know Basic First Aid Tips

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Basic First Aid Tips

The importance of knowing first aid can never be stressed enough. Administering first aid can help lessen the risk of infection and the severity of minor ailments and injuries, such as cuts, sprains, and bleeding. You can literally save the life of someone suffering from a heart attack. Knowledge of first aid is an essential skill to have alongside your CPR training. So whether you need to fulfil some requirements as a medical professional, or whether you just want to learn how to help save your loved ones during emergencies, here are some basic first aid tips that you must know.

1. Cuts

Cuts, no matter how small or shallow they might seem, must still be disinfected at all costs.

What To Do:

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
  2. Apply a gentle pressure on the cut with a clean bandage or cloth.
  3. Rinse the wound with water, and then wash the affected area with soap.

4. Apply antibiotic ointment on the cut, and then cover it with a sterile bandage.

2. Nosebleed

Irritation and certain medications usually trigger nosebleeds. Fortunately, they’re rarely an indication of something serious.

What To Do:

  1. Sit up straight. Don’t lean back or tilt your head back (because you might swallow the blood).
  2. Pinch together the soft part of your nose.

3. Remain in this position for at least ten minutes, until the bleeding stops.

3. Preventing Bleeding

In cases of someone bleeding heavily, the first thing to do is to stop the bleeding.

What To Do:

  1. Put pressure on the wound with a clean bandage or cloth.

2. Keep on putting pressure until the bleeding stops. If the injured person continues to bleed profusely, then seek medical attention at once.

4. Burns

Minor burns are relatively easy to treat. 

What to Do:

  1. Place the burned skin under cold running water for around 15 minutes, until the pain abates.
  2. Never use ice directly because it might damage the skin.

3. You can also put a wet cloth on the burn.

5. Sprains

Some of the symptoms of sprain are pain, swelling, and bruising.

What To Do:

  1. Apply an ice pack (place some ice inside a cloth) on the joint.
  2. In order to restrict the movement, wrap a bandage around the affected area. You may also use a splint.

6. Seizures

The grand mal seizure is the most popular kind of seizure. It’s characterized by the person crying out, jerking, and becoming completely oblivious to his or her surroundings. This, however, is just one among the several types of seizures in existence.

What To Do:

  1. Gently ease the person to the ground.
  2. Turn the person carefully to the side (to aid in breathing).
  3. Remove any hard or pointed objects near the person, as this may cause injury.
  4. Place something soft under the person’s head.
  5. Remove eyeglasses, if any.
  6. Loosen the clothes or the ties—anything that might hamper his or her breathing.

7. Stay with the person until the seizure ends. If it lasts longer than 5 minutes, seek medical assistance.

7. Choking

Choking takes place when an object is jammed in a person’s throat or windpipe, thus blocking the airway.

What To Do:

  1. Give the person 5 back blows.
  2. Perform 5 abdominal thrusts (also called the Heimlich maneuver).

3. Keep on alternating between the blows and thrusts until the airway is finally free.

8. Heart Attack

This takes place when the blood carrying oxygen doesn’t reach the heart. The heart muscle begins to atrophy because of oxygen deprivation. This is a medical emergency. Call the hospital as soon as you observe symptoms of a heart attack.

What To Do:

  1. Assist the person to sit down and to remain calm.
  2. Loosen the clothes to ease breathing.
  3. If the person has a heart condition, promptly ask him or her to take medications.

4. In case of an unconscious person, seek help and administer CPR (if you received CPR training).

02_key-takeaway_1

Knowledge of first aid can indeed make the difference between life and death. It can also prevent certain ailments from getting worse or becoming infected. If unsure, or if the person shows no sign of improvement, always seek medical attention, accompanying him or her until aid finally arrives. If it happens to escalate to a dire situation, your CPR training (if there is) will come in handy to help with the prolonging of someone’s life.

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