Whether your family is small or large, knowing some basic first aid is crucial for staying healthy together. Accidents can happen anywhere, and with these valuable skills, you are more prepared to treat injuries in adults or children. Below are a few simple first aid skills for families to know.
1.Treating a Nosebleed
Nosebleeds are one of the most common issues in young children. Luckily, they are generally not serious and simply take a bit of patience to wait for the bleeding to stop.
If your child has a bloody nose from dry air or nose picking, tilt their head slightly forward and hold a tissue or rag at the nostril to catch the blood. Pinch the nose just below the bone to help slow the bleeding.
2.Treating Insect Bites/Stings
Insect stings and bites can be painful for small children. For bee and wasp stings, carefully remove the stinger and place an ice pack on the sting. Barring any allergies, your child should recover quickly with only minor pain. However, if your child is feeling nauseous, itchy, dizzy, or has trouble breathing, head to an urgent care center for immediate attention.
For most spider and ant bites, an ice pack will cool both burning and itching. If your child does scratch at the bite, make sure to keep it clean with antibiotic ointment and a fresh bandage.
3.Treating a Fever
Fevers usually appear when there is an infection of some sort. If your child’s temperature is rising, it’s a good idea to have them tested for COVID at an urgent care center. If your child tests negative, keep an eye on the fever and keep them cool with a bath. Fever can lead to excess sweating, so make sure to keep them hydrated as well.
4.Treating a Burn
If your child has burned himself, run the burn under cool water. This will help cool the skin and calm any pain and swelling. An antibiotic ointment will help prevent infection and encourage the skin to heal. If blisters have formed, don’t pop them, and don’t allow your child to pop them. If they burst on their own, clean the skin with water and place a thin layer of ointment on before placing a clean bandage.
5.Treating an Open Wound
Cuts and scrapes are common injuries you’ll likely see at some point in your family. Unless the cut is very deep, it won’t stop bleeding, or if tissue must be pulled together to close the wound, you can treat it at home.
Make sure to clean the injury by rinsing it under warm water and a gentle soap or antiseptic. For a bleeding wound, elevate it and place pressure for a few minutes. Use an antibiotic ointment and clean gauze to keep bacteria away.
Change the dressing or bandage once a day and continue using antibiotic ointment.
Learning these first aid skills right away will ensure that you can readily prevent and treat injury and help during accidents. After treating someone with your first aid skills, make sure to go to an urgent care center to get more thorough treatment for your child or other family member.
And if you need to treat sudden injuries, bug bites, and more then it helps to visit a nearby walk-in clinic. Visit AFC Urgent Care Braintree today to get the care you need ASAP for any acute injuries or illnesses!
