First Aid for Foreign Object Inhaled

inhaling foreign objects is one of the common reasons why kids end up in the ER.

If your child accidentally inhales s foreign object, take him/her to your doctor immediately. If the foreign object causes choking, the American Red Cross recommends the "five-and-five" approach to administering first aid:

• First, deliver 5 back blows between your child’s shoulder blades using the heel of your hand.
• Next, perform the Heimlich maneuver – 5 abdominal thrusts.
• Alternate between these two maneuvers until the object is dislodged

If you are the only person in the house [apart from the victim], perform the "five-and-five" approach first before calling 911 or your local emergency number. If another is available, have that person call for help while you perform first aid.

How to perform the Heimlich maneuver on another person

• First, stand behind the victim. Wrap your arms around his or her waist. Tip the person forward slightly.
• Next, make a fist with one hand and position it just above the victim’s navel.
• Grasp your fist with your other hand and press hard into the abdomen using quick, upward thrusts as though you are trying to lift the person up.
• Do a total of 5 abdominal thrusts. If the blockage still isn’t removed, do another set of the "five-and-five" approach.

How to perform the Heimlich maneuver on another person

• Make a fist with one hand and place it slightly above your navel.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand and bend over a hard surface such as a countertop or a chair.
• Thrust your fist inward and upward to dislodge the blockage.

Source: MayoClinic

First Aid: Foreign Objects in the Skin

Tiny, sharp objects such as wood splinters and small pieces of glass can easily get into the skin and get stuck there.

• To administer first aid for foreign objects in the ski, follow these guidelines:
• Because the skin is broken and germs can get in, wash your hands and clean the area with soap and water.
• Use tweezers remove the foreign object in your skin.

If the object is completely embedded in your skin:

• Wash your hands and clean the area with soap and water.
• Sterilize a sharp, clean needle by wiping it with rubbing alcohol. Or get a brand new one and clean it with rubbing alcohol. If rubbing alcohol isn’t available, clean the needle with soap and water.
• Use the needle to lift the tip of the object out.
• Use the tweezers to extract the object. You can use a magnifying glass to help you see the object better.
• Wash and pat-dry the area, and apply an antibiotic ointment.

Seek medical help if the foreign doesn’t come out or if it is near the eye.

Source: Mayo Clinic

First Aid for Fractures

Fractures or broken bones are a serious problem that requires immediate medical attention.

If the broken bone is the result of a major injury, call 911 or your local emergency number. Also call 911 if:

• The person is not responding, isn’t breathing or isn’t moving. Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the person has no respiration or heartbeat.
• There is heavy bleeding.
• Even light pressure or movement causes pain.
• The limb or joint appears deformed.
• The bone has pierced the skin.
• The extremity of the injured arm or leg is numb, or is bluish at the tip.
• You suspect that the bone in the neck, head, or back is broken.
• You think that in the hip, pelvis, or upper leg is broken.

While waiting for medical help to arrive, do the following actions immediately:

• Stop any bleeding. Put pressure on the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth, or clean piece of clothing.
• Immobilize the injured area. Do not attempt to realign or even more the bone. However, if you are trained on how to splint – medical help isn’t available yet – then apply a splint to the affected area.
• Put ice packs to limit the swelling and ease the pain until the emergency medical help arrives. Do not apply ice directly on the skin of the injured area. Wrap the ice in a towel or piece of cloth before applying it to the skin.
• Treat the person for shock. If the person looks or feels faint, or is breathing in short rapid breaths, lay him or her down with the head slightly lower than the trunk, and elevate the legs if possible.

Source: Mayo Clinic

First Aid for Insect Bites and Stings

Insect bites and stings result in a little itchiness redness which often goes away on its own after a few hours of days.

However, if you have an allergic reaction to insect bites and stings, you must know what to in case it happens.

Insects release venom or other substances into your skin when they bite or sting. This venom triggers an allergic reaction. The severity of your reaction depends on your sensitivity to the venom or substance.

Most people have mild reactions to insect bites or stings, causing only a bit of itching or stinging sensation; or a little redness or swelling that goes away after a few days.

A delayed allergic reaction may cause fever, painful joints, swollen glands, and hives. You may experience both immediate and delayed reaction from the same insect bite or sting.

A small percentage of people however, experience severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to insect venom. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include:

• Facial swelling
• Difficulty breathing
• Abdominal pain
• Shock

Bites from bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants and yellow jackets are usually the ones cause severe allergic reactions. Bites from ticks, mosquitoes, biting flies and some spiders can also cause allergic reactions, but theirs are usually milder.

First aid for mild allergic reactions

Mild allergic reactions also include mild nausea, intestinal cramps, diarrhea, and swelling bigger than 2 inches in diameter at the bite site. See your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

To treat a mild allergic reaction:

• Go to a safer are to avoid getting bitten or stung some more.
• Do not try to pull the stinger out. Doing so may release more venom. Scrape or brush off the stinger instead with a straight-edged object like the back of a knife. Wash the affected area with soap and water.
• Put hydrocortisone cream (0.5-1 percent), calamine lotion, or baking soda paste (3 teaspoon baking soda to 1 teaspoon water) on the affected area several times a day or until your symptoms disappear.
• Take an antihistamine with diphenhydramine or chlorpheniramine maleate.

First aid for severe allergic reactions

Severe allergic reactions advanced rapidly. In case of a severe allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting, call 911 or your local emergency medical assistance. Signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the lips or throat
• Faintness
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Rapid heartbeat
• Hives
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Cramps

While waiting for emergency medical help to arrive, do the following:

• Check for medications that the affected person may be carrying to treat an allergic attack. Examples include auto-injectors of epinephrine. Administer the medication as directed. Massage the site of injection for 10 seconds to improve absorption.
• After administering epinephrine, give the person an antihistamine pill if he or she can swallow it without choking.
• Make the person lie still on his or her back with his or her feet higher than the head.
• Loosen the person’s tight clothing and cover him or her with a blanket. Don’t give him or her anything to drink.
• If there is vomiting or bleeding from the mouth, turn the person over on his or her side to prevent choking.
• Peform CPR is the person is not moving, breathing or coughing.

Source: Mayo Clinic

First Aid for Snake Bites

Apart from the rattlesnake, coral snake, water moccasin and copperhead, most North American snakes are not poisonous.

Characteristics of NA poisonous snakes

Except for the coral snake, these poisonous snakes have slit-like eyes, triangular heads with a depression midway between the eyes and nostrils.

Each poisonous snake also possesses a certain characteristic that is unique to them:

The rattle snake makes its rattling sound by shaking the rings at the end of their tail.

Water moccasins on the other hand, have a white cottony lining in their mouth; while coral snakes have red, yellow and black rings along the length of their body.

How to reduce your risk of snakebite

To lower your risk of snakebite, do not pick up or play with any kind of snake. Most snakes avoid people, and bite only when threatened or surprised.

• If you are bitten by a snake:
• Remain calm
• Do not attempt to catch the snake
• Do not move the bitten arm or leg

Apply a loose splint to reduce movement of the affected area. Make sure it is loose enough to allow normal blood flow

• Remain silent
• Remove jewelry and other accessory, because swelling progresses quickly
• Do not use a tourniquet or put ice
• Do not cut the wound or try to remove the venom
• Seek medical attention immediately, especially if the bitten area changes color, starts to swell or is painful.

Source: Mayo Clinic

First Aid for Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Gastroenteritis is a common condition. Millions suffer from it every year. Inadequate treatment of gastroenteritis causes the death of 5-8 million people worldwide each year. It is also one of the leading causes of death among infants and children under 5 years old.

Causes of gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis may be caused by any of the following:

• Viruses
• Food or water contaminated by bacteria or parasites
• Reaction to a new food. Young children may develop signs and symptoms for this reason. Infants who are breast-fed may even react to a change in their mothers’ diets.
• Side effect from medications.

Signs and symptoms of gastroenteritis

Signs and symptoms of gastroenteritis include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Cramps
• Bloating

Sometimes a low-grade fever comes with these symptoms. Symptoms may last from a day to longer than a week, depending on the cause of gastroenteritis.

What to do if you have gastroenteritis

• If you think you have gastroenteritis:
• Stop eating and drinking for a few hours and let your stomach settle.
• Drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration.
• Ease back into eating. Start eating bland, easy-to-digest foods such as crackers, gelatin, bananas, rice and chicken. Stop eating if your symptoms return. Do not drink milk or consume dairy products, as well as alcohol, nicotine, and fatty or highly seasoned foods for a few days.
• Consider taking acetaminophen to relieve your discomfort, except if you have liver disease.
• Get plenty of rest. Illness, plus dehydration can make you weak and tired.

When to seek emergency medical help

• Seek emergency medical assistance if:
• Vomiting persists for more than 2 days
• Diarrhea lasts for longer than several days
• Diarrhea is bloody
• Fever is 101 F (38.3 C) or higher
• You feel faint or lightheaded when you stand
• Confusion develops
• Troublesome abdominal pain develops

What to do if your child has gastroenteritis

If you think your child has gastroenteritis:

Let him/her rest

When your child’s vomiting stops, start giving him/her small amounts of an oral rehydration solution such as Pedialyte. Do not use water alone. Water is not absorbed properly in kids with gastroenteritis, which means it won’t adequately replace lost fluids. Also avoid giving your child milk and apple juice since it makes diarrhea worse.

You may give your child acetaminophen to relieve his/her discomfort. Do not give your child acetaminophen, if your child has liver disease. Avoid giving your child aspirin.

If you child is still an infant, let his/her stomach rest for 30-60 minutes, then give him/her small amounts of liquid, or nurse him/her if you are breast-feeding. If your baby is bottle-fed, give him/her a small amount of oral rehydration formula.

When to seek emergency medical help

Seek emergency medical assistance if your child:

• Becomes unusually drowsy
• Vomits Blood
• Has bloody diarrhea
• Shows signs of dehydration including dry mouth and skin, marked thirst, sunken eyes, or crying without tears. In an infant, be on the look out for the soft spot on top of the head becoming sunken, and to diapers that remain dry for more than 8 hours.
• Is younger than 2 years old and has a fever for longer than a day, or is 2 years old and older and has fever for more than 3 days

Source: Mayo Clinic

Remedies for Hiccups

A case of hiccups may be a fairly normal condition that anyone may experience but can also be troublesome at times. The condition is caused by a sudden contraction of the diaphragm and muscles between the ribs that further causes one to inhale quickly and involuntarily. The sudden rush of air causes the epiglottis in the throat to shut, causing the typical "hic" sound.

Technically known as singultus, hiccups can either last for less than a minute or can go for hours and even weeks. There is even a story of a man who had a serious bout of the hiccups that didn’t go away for 60 years. But such conditions can be rare as most hiccups usually disappear as fast as they appear. What makes it more interesting despite hiccups being quite common is that medical experts do not know the exact cause of hiccups. There are several reasons offered and each one of them may be quite true.

Treating Hiccups

Although most cases of hiccups tend to go away on their own, there are instances where they surprisingly don’t. In such cases, medical intervention may be needed where hiccups may go on for weeks without stopping. Sedatives and muscle relaxants may be prescribed by doctors in order to help treat severe cases of hiccups.

Home Remedies

For hiccups that may be considered common, there have been certain home remedies that may just help get rid of the condition. Although their effectiveness may be on a case to case basis, trying them out in order to get rid of that hiccup may be something worth doing. Here are some of them:

• Pulling your tongue to to stimulate the nasopharynx.

• Drinking water

• Swallowing granulated sugar

• Holding your breath or breathing into a paper bag.

• Pulling knees up your chest while sitting down and leaning forward

• Rubbing the back of the neck

• Biting on a lemon

Although these home remedies may not always be effective and apply for all cases of hiccups, they should always be worth a try. There are many other ways that some people may suggest in trying to get rid of hiccups. The more you know about them, the better , especially if you find yourself in such a situation. After all, there is always a visit to your doctor for help in case not one of those home remedies work.

First Aid for Sprain

Protect the injured limb from further injury by not moving the joint. To do this, you can use splints or crutches.

Rest

Rest the injured limb; but do no avoid all physical activity. You can still exercise even with an ankle sprain to prevent de-conditioning. Work both arms and you uninjured leg to get a three-limb exercise to maintain your cardiovascular conditioning.

Ice

Apply ice on the injured limb. You a cold pack, a slush bath, or a compression sleeve filled with cold water to reduce swelling. If you are using ice, avoid using it for too long as it could cause tissue damage.

Compress

Compress the injure limb using an elastic wrap or bandage. Compressive wraps or sleeves made from elastic neoprene are your best bet.

Elevate

Elevate the injure limb whenever possible to prevent or limit the swelling.

After the first two days, slowly start using the injured area. You should feel gradual, progressive improvement. Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to alleviate the pain during the healing process.

When to get emergency medical assistance

Call emergency medical help in case of the following:

You heard a popping sound when you injured your joint, you can’t use your joint, or you feel unstable when you try to carry weight on the joint. Any of these could mean that the ligament was completely torn. Apply a cold pack on the injured area on the way to the doctor.

You have a fever higher that 100 F (37.8 C), and the injured limb is red and hot. This could mean that you have an infection.

You are in severe pain. Delayed or inadequate treatment may cause long-term joint instability and/or chronic pain.

The injured area is not improving after the first 2-3 days.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Strange But Effective Home Remedies

Over the years, people have developed home remedies to treat almost every common ailment there is. Some may be found truly effective while some may not. There are even some quite bizarre home remedies suggested that turn out to be quite effective. Here are just some of them.

Sugar For Hiccups

It may seem bizarre to think that a teaspoon of sugar swallowed dry can be a remedy for hiccups. But it is actually quite effective. Experts believe that this happens because sugar seems to modify the nerve muscles that would otherwise tell the muscles found in the diaphragm to contract suddenly that would produce the hiccups.

Mouthwash For Blisters

A product that is used to keep your breath fresh can also be a remedy for blisters. Mouthwash that makes the breath feel fresh is also known as a powerful antiseptic. Dabbing a blister with mouthwash thrice a day can dry it out and makes it hurt less in the process.

Yogurt For Bad Breath

Eating yogurt may not just be healthy for you, it might even be able to help you get rid of bad breath. Yogurt contains a culture of live beneficial bacteria that may help suppress the levels of bad breath-causing bacteria in the mouth.

Baking Soda For Urinary Tract Infections

Adding baking soda by mixing 1/4 teaspoon of it in water and drinking it once a day can be a temporary remedy for a urinary tract infection until you visit your doctor to be more effectively treated. The reason why this home remedy works is that baking soda helps create a more alkaline environment in your bladder. This reduces the ability of the bacteria to multiply further.First Aid