Introduction
In emergency situations the first thought is to turn to friends or family for advice, however, the most well-known and popular recommendations tend to be harmful. Applying ice to a bruise is not the best idea and lifting an unconscious person might lead to severe consequences. Here are twelve life hacks that can help you survive.
1. How to Remove a Foreign Object From an Eye
To deal with a foreign object in the eye such as glass, have someone drive you to the hospital.
If the object is just an eyelash, first wash your hands, then locate the eyelash by using a mirror and blink to make your tears wash the eyelash out. Once the object is in the corner of your eye, take a wet piece of cloth and use it to remove the eyelash.
2. How to Bandage a Wound
A common piece of advice is to use ointment on a wound; however, ointment contains unwanted moisture which is a great environment for bacteria to reproduce quickly.
The best thing to do is clean the wound in cool water with soap and put a dry bandage on it, so the wound heals faster.
3. How To Recover from a Fever
If you have a fever, drink fluids such as water, tea, and nonalcoholic drinks. Cool the air in the room to a temperature of 61-63 degrees Fahrenheit or 16-18 degrees Celsius. In those conditions, you will get over the fever yourself. If you do not, then you should see a doctor.
4. How to Help an Unconscious Person
If someone faints, do not pick them up and sprinkle them with water, this will only aggravate them to spasm.
Instead, lift their legs, unbutton any tight pieces of clothing and do not let them stand up when they regain consciousness. When conscious, the person should not drink coffee or any drinks containing caffeine as this will lead to dehydration.
5. How To Treat a Burn
Do not use refrigerated butter or sour cream on burns, as this will only relieve the pain due to the cold temperature, but it is dangerous as it results in dry skin and disrupts thermal exchange, causing the heat to go further under the skin.
Instead, hold the hand under cold water for 15 minutes, which will help the pain. If the burn blisters, it is because a blister protects the wound from infections.
6. What To Do in Case of a Fracture
Never set a dislocated bone on your own as it may result in additional injuries. The best action is to immobilize the injured limb and go to the hospital as soon as possible.
Bandage the wound comfortably, which will mobilize the possible fracture and the two closest joints.
7. What To Do If You Have Sprained a Limb
Warm cloths will not help sprained muscles and applying heat will strengthen the blood flow, leading to more severe swelling. In the days after the injury, apply coal, which will lessen the inflammation and kill the pain. Avoid using the sprained limb as little as possible for the first 48 hours.
8. What to do in Case of Poisoning
A poisoned person should not vomit. This is because the poison can get into the lungs and damage them. The second problem is that if it is a case of chemical poisoning, vomiting doubles the chances of burning your throat. Finally, it can be difficult to stop vomiting once it starts, leading to dehydration and even more severe consequences.
The best thing to do for a poisoned person is to call the ambulance as quickly as possible.
9. How to Rescue a Drowning Person
If you notice a drowning person and you can swim, approach a person from behind so they do not see you coming, otherwise the person may hinder you or drag you down in panic.
After approaching the person, grab them under the armpits or chin and move to the shore, keeping their head at your stomach.
10. How to Remove a Foreign Object from the Body
Removing a splinter or glass shard from your hand is easy, but you must never try to pull out objects, like knives, from serious wounds. Even doctors will keep the object in place until the patient is under surgery. If the object is in place, it prevents the bleeding from starting.
If you or a person has an object from a serious wound, do not touch the object or do anything without professional supervision. The only thing you can do is apply alcohol on the wound but be prepared as this will hurt. You should call the hospital immediately.
11. How to Apply Ice to a Bruise
Applying ice to a bruise is okay as pain relief, but only if applied correctly. Do not apply ice directly to the skin or it may cause a cold burn. Instead, put a cloth between your skin and a pack of ice.
Even with the cloth and ice, a person can suffer from a cold burn under these conditions. To avoid this, only use the cloth and ice for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time and have a 90-minute interval between each application. If you cannot use a cloth, do not apply ice at all to avoid cold burns. There is also no point in using ice on a bruise 48 hours after the injury.
12. Using Skin Glue for Stitches
Stitches are the only way to close a wound in most cases. However, putting stitches is a long and painful procedure which requires removing the stitches after the wound heals. In certain cases, applying skin glue is a quick and painless method.
To use skin glue, wash the wound with cold water before using the glue, then stop the bleeding by pressing the wound, close the edges of the wound and apply skin glue along the cut. However, if the wound is too big, do not take the risk and go to the hospital for professional help.
