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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you’ve ever experienced a \nmuscle cramp, you know just how painful they can be. The best way to \nresolve the issue is to gently massage and stretch the affected muscle \ngroup, rest and drink water, or ideally, an electrolyte-filled sports \ndrink to calm your muscles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Be extra cautious about spinal injuries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With any first aid injury that \ninvolves a head or neck injury, be extra wary of moving the victim. \nEspecially if you did not witness the injury, or you are not sure if a \nspinal injury has occurred, assume that it did and encourage the person \nto stay as still as possible until medical professionals arrive, \nstabilizing the head and neck if necessary. 3. Treat a sprain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve fallen or injured \nyourself during a sports activity, you may end up with a swollen \nsprained ankle or wrist. If this occurred for you, follow the RICE \nmethod: Rest (sitting down and not exerting yourself), Ice (apply an ice\n pack to your injury for 15 to 20 minutes at a time), Compression (using\n an elastic bandage to reduce swelling, but not wrapping it too tightly)\n and Elevation (keeping it lifted above your heart, particularly at \nnight). This should be enough to help you recover. If not, seek medical \ntreatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Heal a bruise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a blow or some kind of \nimpact causes blood vessels to burst near the skin’s surface, it can \nlook unsightly and hurt badly. More often than not, leaving it alone to \nheal is sufficient, but if you’re looking to speed up the healing \nprocess, follow the same strategy as above, using the RICE method. If \nthe bruising persists, consult a doctor. 5. Splint a broken bone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a more serious injury \noccurs, like breaking an arm or leg, stop the bleeding and reduce the \nswelling using ice, and call for medical assistance as soon as possible.\n You should also find a way to immobilize the injured appendage using a \nmakeshift splint. To do this, simply roll up newspaper, or use a ruler \nor solid branch, and attach it to the arm or leg using tape or rope. The\n goal is to hold the appendage in place to avoid any further pain or \ndamage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Deal with a larger object stuck in the eye<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’ve been struck by an \nobject with rough edges, or one that contains chemicals, makes it hard \nto close your eye, or which remains stuck after taking those basic first\n aid steps, then be sure to seek medical treatment. Bandage the eye with\n a clean gauze and restrict movement. If the object is in another \nperson’s eye, cover their uninjured eye as well to prevent the affected \neye from moving before you head to the doctor. If there’s a large object\n in the eye, cover it with a paper cup to keep it from moving and get to\n the hospital. 7. Treat shock<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shock creates a sudden drop in \nblood flow through the body which can result from blood loss, trauma, \npoisoning, severe burns, or a wide range of other injuries or ailments, \nand is generally accompanied with symptoms such as rapid breathing or a \nracing pulse. If someone is suffering from shock, elevate their legs and\n feet slightly, loosening tight clothing and checking for any bleeding \nor other more serious injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Deal with a severe cut<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A little cut that requires a band-aid is no big deal. But when you get a more serious wound, you need to go through a couple of steps. Firstly, rinse the wound and apply pressure using a sterile gauze or clean cloth. If the blood soaks through, then apply another bandage on top of the first one. Raise the injured part of the body to slow the bleeding and continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9. Relieve heat exhaustion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have been hiking for \nseveral hours in the sun and suddenly start feeling faint or ill, you \ncould be suffering from heat exhaustion. The best solution would be to \nrest in a cool place, ideally, an air-conditioned building, with your \nlegs elevated higher than your heart. Be sure to drink cool fluids, \nloosen any tight clothing and take a cold shower. If that doesn’t work, \nseek medical attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 10. Handle heatstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone’s body overheats, \nthey may get hit by heatstroke, which may cause all kinds of nasty side \neffects, including nausea and vomiting, fast breathing and an altered \nmental state. Those suffering from heat exhaustion should be moved to a \ncool place and immersed in cool water, a cold or even icy bath should be\n helpful, or pack them in a cooling blanket until medical professionals \ncan be reached. 11. Refresh your first aid kit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You hopefully have a first aid \nkit around the house with a handful of bandages and ointments. If you \nhave one be sure that you’ve got all the items recommended by the \nAmerican Red Cross, including tweezers, an instant cold compress, and \nnon-latex gloves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 12. Deal with dehydration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dehydration tends to be very common, but it is often misunderstood. Dehydration is caused by not replacing both the water and salt that make up a sizable amount of our bodies. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, from headaches to muscle cramps, to dark-colored urine. Rehydrating is an immediate way to help counter the effects of dehydration, but also consider having a sports drink to help replenish electrolytes. Letting dehydration persist for too long can cause you to break out in a fever, or develop a rapid heartbeat or low blood pressure, in which case you should seek medical attention. From http:\/\/www.ba-bamail.com\/content.aspx?emailid=30492<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First Aid Facts You Need to Know Did you know that in the United States alone there are 136.9 million emergency room visits each year? While some injuries do merit an immediate ambulance ride, there are countless others that can be helped with a few simple precautions taken before the professionals arrive. Even if you … <\/p>\n![\"first](\"http:\/\/en.bcdn.biz\/Images\/2018\/8\/9\/680c7aef-dbd6-43c2-b707-2ade4f6ce5c5.jpg\")
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