The summer season can bring with it a range of scenarios that call for emergency action such as heat stroke, sunstrokes, bee stings, heat rash and sunburn, dehydration and splinters.
If you are hearing of these terms for the first time and are worried as to what they are and what to do when they happen, read on to find out.
Heat strokes/Sunstroke: These cases are rampant in summers since the outside temperature is already very high and the body temperature rises with it to alarming levels. This scenario may lead to loss of consciousness or to a point where the person starts to act confused – not knowing what to do. The symptoms can also be nausea, flushed skin, rapid breathing, and racing heart rate. This is a life-threatening medical emergency – call an ambulance as soon as possible.
First aid for heat strokes:
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Move the person from the hot place to a cooler or a colder place. Try and drape them with wet cloth to regulate their body temperature.
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Provide them with cold water for drinking after removing excess clothing. Make sure that the beverage you give them does not have alcohol or caffeine in them.
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If possible give an ice pack to them and apply it at their neck and armpits.
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If there is loss of consciousness, open their airways and begin CPR.
The body tries to regulate the temperature by perspiration and very high temperature can cause a lot of loss of these fluids resulting in the scenarios of heat exhaustion or stroke. The symptoms can be vomiting, fatigue and muscle cramps, dried lips and excessive sweating. There is a possibility that the person may faint as well.
First aid in case of dehydration:
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Get the person to calm down and sit at a cool place.
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Give them water to drink. It is best if the water is mixed with ORS i.e Oral Rehydration salts to compensate for the loss of salts lost due to sweating.
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In case there is fainting, please call the ambulance and consult a doctor immediately.
Also Read: Why first aid is important for school-aged children?
Heat Rash:
The heat causes the entire body to develop rashes that do not go away quickly. This is the body’s reaction to excess heat.
Please make sure that you consult a doctor if the rash persists and apply cooling lotions such as lacto-calamine lotions to soothe the rash.
During summers, we have a lot of out of the house activities wherein there is a chance of exposure to bee stings and sticklers that get deep into the skin.
First aid for bee stings and sticklers:
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First, wash the area of the sting/ stickler with running water and then dry them using a towel with soft dabs
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Use a sterilized tweezer that you have and gently pull the sting/stingler at the same angle in which it is stuck such that it does at the break.
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Apply a bandage over the area and rest that area for some time.
Please consult a doctor as soon as possible if you see a symptom of anaphylactic shock or allergies. If the stickler is embedded too deep and there is a gash that is oozing too much blood consult a doctor immediately. In the case of bee stings if there are rashes, swellings, and nausea, headache – it is advised to consult the doctor without delay.
We hope that your summer is safe and happy, but in case you get to meet these situations, please use these first aid tips and follow them to save more lives. For more such First aid information such as first aid for snake bites, excessive bleeding, broken bones, stroke download the VMEDO app to know these first aid methods at the touch of a button.