If you’ve been reading us for a while, you’ll be familiar with many of the subjects we write about.
However, if the victim dies in the first few minutes, any long-term therapies are useless. As a result, it’s critical to keep returning to the fundamentals in order to strengthen those time-saving skills that I feel are most essential to remember.
Saving a life or limb in the near term is frequently as simple as taking only one little action—but doing it quickly enough to make a difference. People perish every day because no one around them knows how to solve the problem, and they die needlessly.
Learn these eight fast therapies and strategies to become a hero on call. Share them with your friends and family so they’re prepared if you’re the one who needs care.
The idea is to memorize them so well that you won’t have to consider when you’ll need them in real life. They’ll be the first things that come to mind—nearly as quickly as a reflex. Then you may take a pause and figure out what comes next.
1. Suspect carbon monoxide poisoning? Provide fresh air.
Headache and drowsiness are just a few of the many signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. The first step in treatment is to provide the patient with fresh air. If you have pure oxygen, offer that instead. Carbon monoxide is generally regarded as a winter problem because of certain heating techniques, but it’s also a danger during the summer when RVs and boats come out to play.
2. Do you think you’re having a heart attack? Take an aspirin.
An aspirin may prevent the clot from getting worse. Chew and swallow them. Then lie down and check for an AED if you’re in a public location. Here are some more heart attack advice.
3. Get a cut? Apply pressure.
For the most part, you can achieve good results with moderate pressure. Elevate the wound to heart level or above for added help. (Everything is on a flat surface when you’re sleeping.) The bleeding will probably stop within five minutes, but you may need to apply additional pressure to keep it from reopening.
You can also try pressing above or below the injury, depending on where the bleeding is originating. If everything else fails, a tourniquet will usually stop most significant bleeds on an arm or leg. If a tourniquet is absolutely required from the start, go right to it.
Always utilize a barrier, such as a medical glove or a thick towel, between your hand and the blood.
5. See someone who’s badly bleeding? Cover to help prevent shock.
When the blood pressure drops, it’s known as shock. This can be fatal. One thing you might do to help prevent it is cover the victim with a blanket. (When searching for injuries to treat, keep other sections covered as you go.) Because extra blood isn’t needed to regulate temperature, keeping the individual warm reduces stress on the body’s circulation system.
Of course, don’t cover someone who is already too hot or when it’s a hot day and they’re wearing several layers of clothing.
6. Are you feeling sick from the heat? Relax and drink water to refresh yourself.
Heat exhaustion is a condition that results when you’re hot and experience flu-like symptoms (such as weakness, dizziness, a headache, or nausea). Other possible indicators are cramps and an abrupt increase in perspiration. Get some water or a sports drink to help you cool down. You might have just avoided heatstroke by cooling yourself down.
Also, be wary of any confusion in the heat. Heat exhaustion or heatstroke are two possible signs of this.
7. Shiver in the cold? Get to warmth—before you stop shivering.
Shivering is a symptom of mild hypothermia. You’ve advanced to moderate hypothermia if you stop shivering. Get warm either way. Both minor and moderate forms of hypothermia can cause mental impairment, and you don’t want to be outside with either one. Click here for further treatment instructions (or when you can’t get to warmth).
8. Get a burn? Cool with water.
The first step in treating a burn is to immediately cool the area. Because it blocks beneficial blood flow, don’t use ice. Instead, run water over the burn or wrap moist cloth over it. The later option is especially helpful for large burns.
9. Chest pierced deeply? Seal with a special kind of one-way valve.
A person’s chest cavity can easily collapse when a puncture or bullet tears through it, causing air to be sucked in as the individual breathes. As a result of this pressure, the lungs and heart could be put under tremendous strain, potentially resulting in death. If you detect a chest wound before it happens, you may assist prevent it by forming a one-way valve that stops air from entering but allows trapped air to escape. Here are two easy methods for doing so:
- A driver’s license or plastic wrap should be placed over the wound, or
- Place petroleum jelly, ointment, or honey-coated gauze on the injury.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have a mental list of these procedures? Have you ever had to employ them in practice?
—
Photo credit: Pixabay
Leave a Comment