FIRST AID IS THE BEST AID – AN GENERAL & HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH

First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care past the first aid intervention. It generally consists of a series of simple and in some cases, potentially life-saving techniques that an individual can be trained to perform with minimal equipment. Any layperson can be trained to administer first aid, which can be carried out using minimal equipments. Basic training in first aid skills should be taught in school, in work places and, in general, be learnt by all, as it is mandatory to our modern and stressful life.

BLEEDING:

First aid

·        Apply direct pressure, using a sterile dressing or a clean cloth; apply direct pressure on the wound for at least 10 minutes. If the dressing becomes soaked with blood, do not pull the dressing from the wound; instead, place another clean dressing on top of the existing cloth.

·        Elevate the injured area if you don’t suspect a broken bone. This helps slow down the bleeding.

·        If bleeding doesn’t stop, use pressure points, maintain direct pressure over the wound and also apply pressure to a pressure point above the wound for the arm. Apply pressure to upper arm, with a leg wound; apply pressure where the groin and leg meet.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice.

·        Homoeo. Medicine:- Hamamaelis, Millefolium, Crotalus Horridus, Ipecac,

BROKEN BONES:-

Symptoms / Sign’s – limb/ joint area may be deformed, difficult or painful to move, sensitive to the touch, discolored, or cold; or have acute swelling or no feeling.

First aid

·        The utmost care and gentleness must be exercised in handling a broken limb or spine it is imperative to avoid any movement of the broken fragments, or any forward bending of the spine, lest further damage accrue to muscles, Nerves, blood vessels, or the spinal cord. It is far better to do nothing until expert help arrives than to do the wrong thing, first aid implies firm gentle traction and some form of support that will prevent any movement of the jagged ends of the fragments during transport to hospital.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice.

·        Homoeo. Medicine:-  Symphytum, Calc.phos , Arnica mont, Ruta, Bryonia

SEIZURES:-

Symptoms / sign’s – Rigid body, clenched fists and jaw, twitching in limbs or face, eyes rolling back in head. Excessive salivation possibly, unconsciousness.

 First aid

·        Do not restrain the person

·        Lay the person on a soft or padded surface during the convulsion to avoid self – injury.

·        If the person begins to vomit, turn his or her head to the side to prevent choking.

·        Try to prevent Tongue Biting (use mouth gag)

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice.

·        Homoeo. Medicine:-  Cuprum met, Plumbum. Met, Cicuta, Nuxvomica, Bufo.

CHOKING

Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs. Choking prevents breathing, and can be partial or complete, with partial choking allowing some, although inadequate, flow of air into the lungs.

   First aid

·        Wrap you arms around the victim from behind tip the victim slightly forward.

·        Make a fist with one hand; grasp the fist with your other hand.

·        Position your fist between the victim’s navel and rib cage.

·        Thrust your fist upward quickly and forcefully. Use an inward and upward motion, as if you are trying to lift the person off the ground.

·        Repeat thrusts as necessary until object pops out and the airway is clear.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice.

DROWNING

Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid.

  First aid

·        Get the person out of the water, summoning help if needed.

·        Begin resuscitation as soon as possible if the person is not breathing.

·        If the person is breathing, lay him or her down in the recovery position (stomach down, head turned to side) and keep him or her warm with blankets until medical help arrives.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

FROST BITE

Symptoms / sign’s – Skin that is somewhat numb and white may blister or peel when rewarmed (mild frostbite), skin that is cold, hard, white or grayish and numb, may turn blue or purple, or swell and blister when rewarmed (severe frost bite)  

    First aid

·        Find a warm area quickly.

·        Never rub frostbitten skin.

·        Use very warm water ( 100 to 105⁰ F) to rewarm frostbitten skin quickly; immerse in a tub or basin or apply compresses. Rewarming can be painful, if immersion is not an option, remove clothing from frostbitten areas and cover with blankets.

·        Frostbitten skin burns easily so do not rewarm too close to dry heat or a campfire, or with a heating pad. If you can’t get to a warm area, use your body to rewarm; put frostbitten hands under armpits. Rewarm toes with warm hands cover face with hands to warm nose and cheeks.

·        Drink warm liquids (coffee, tea, and broth, cocoa) don’t drink alcoholic beverages, which promote heat loss.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine:-  Agaricus, Petroleum, Pulsatilla, Silicea, Zincum.

RESCUE BREATHING

     If a person is not breathing but has a pulse;

First aid

·        Tilt the victim’s head back to open the airway

·        Check for breathing position your ear over the victim’s mouth. Listen for breathing while looking at chest for rise and fall of breathing

·        Pinch the victim’s nostrils closed and seal your mouth tightly over the victim’s mouth

·        Give two slow breaths the victim’s chest should rise and fall as you breathe into the mouth. If it does not, reposition the victim’s head and try two more slow breaths. If the chest still does not rise, follow the procedure for choking followed by two slow breaths.

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation(CPR)

         If a person has no pulse and is not breathing, proceed with CPR.  

First aid

·        Get on your knees next to the victim

·        For an adult, place one hand on top of the other, with the heel of the bottom hand on the victim’s breast bone (locate the area where bottom ribs meet in the center of the chest, then move up ½ – 1 inch). For a child, place the heel of one hand on the breastbone.

·        For a child compress chest 5 times to a depth of 1 inch; for an adult compress chest 15 times to a depth of 2 inches. Don’t lift your hand(s) off chest between compressions, lock elbow(s) during compressions and keep shoulders directly over hand(s),

·        Lift and tilt victim’s head, pinch the nose and breathe in to mouth, give a child 1 slow breath; give an adult 2 slow breaths; and watch for chest to rise.

·        Repeat cycle of compressions and breaths (15 :2 for an adult, 5 : 1 for a child) for one minute, recheck pulse and breathing, if the victim is still not breathing and has no pulse, call the emergency number for help

·        Continue giving CPR until victim has a pulse or until paramedics arrive.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

HYPERTHERMIA

Symptoms / sign’s –

Heat Exhaustion: Increased thirst, weakness, mental or physical disorientation, nausea,    profuse sweating, cold or clammy skin, visual disturbances.

Heat stroke:  confusion, bizarre behavior, strong and rapid pulse, extreme fatigue, rapid heartbeat, loss of consciousness, body temperature over 104⁰ F, lack of sweating with dry, red skin.

First aid

·        As soon as you notice any symptoms of hyperthermia, rest in a cool, shaded area with feet elevated.

·        Remove excess clothing.

·        Splash skin with cool or tepid water, or apply cool towels or sheets to skin.

·        If possible, move to an air – conditioned setting.

·        Drink lots of cool water, fruit juices or sports drinks.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Pyrogenum, Belladonna, Swertia chirata Q, Millefolium, Aconite, Ars.alb, Gelsemium.

HYPOTHERMIA

Symptoms / sign’s  Shivering, numbness in hands and feel, confusion, sleepiness, physical exhaustion, slurred speech, memory lapses, slow and shallow breathing, slow and weak heart beat, cool, pale skin, fingers, toes and lips may be slightly blue, cessation of shivering with diminished alertness or loss of consciousness, slow pulse and breathing ( Severe hypothermia).

First aid

·        Move to a warm, sheltered area.

·        Use blankets or skin to skin contact (ie. torso to torso) to raise body temperature or to keep warm.

·        In cases of very mild hypothermia, a warm bath can help restore body temperature.

·        Remove any wet clothes and replace with dry clothes or blankets, keep the head covered.

·        Drink hot tea, broth, or water and avoid alcohol, altogether.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

HEART ATTACK

Symptoms / sign’s Chest pain; the victim may describe it as pressure, a feeling of tightness in the chest, aching, crushing, fullness or tightness, constricting or heavy pain. The pain may be located in the center of the chest although it is not uncommon for the pain to radiate to one or both shoulders or arms or to the neck, jaw or back, in addition to pain, victims may experience sweating, Nausea, or shortness of breath.

First aid

·        Comfort and reassure the victim.

·        Have the victim stop whatever they were doing and sit or lie in a comfortable position.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        If the victims become unconscious, be prepared to perform CPR.

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Latrodetus mactans, Amylnitrosum, Aconite, Cactus, Spigelia.  

STROKE:

Symptoms / sign’s Weakness and Numbness of the face, arm or leg, often an one side of the body only. Dizziness, confusion, headache, ringing in the ears. A change of mood. Difficulty in speaking, unconsciousness, pupils of uneven size. Difficulty in breathing and swallowing, loss of bowel and bladder control.

First aid

·        Have the victim stop what ever they were doing and sit or lie in a comfortable position.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Opium, Nuxvomica, Arnica, Baryta carb, Belladonna, Laurocerasus.

INSECT BITES

Symptoms / sign’s of allergic Reaction: Pain, swelling of the throat, redness or discoloration at the site of the bite, itching, hives, decreased consciousness and difficult or Noisy breathing.

First aid

·        If a stinger remains in the victim, you may try to remove it carefully with a tweezers or by scraping with the edge of a credit card, be careful not to squeeze the stinger as this will inject more venom.

·        Once a stinger has been removed, the wound should be washed well with soap and water, cold compresses will help relieve pain and swelling. The stung area should be kept lower than the heart to slow circulation of the venom.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Apis mell. Kali. Perm, Ledumpal, Lachesis, Amm.Carb

·        For external  - Arnica Q, Apis.mell Q, Cedron Q

INSULIN REACTION(Hypoglycemia):

This condition occurs when there is too much insulin in the body. This condition rapidly reduces the level of sugar in the blood and brain cells suffer. Insulin reaction can be caused by taking too much medication, by falling to eat, by heavy exercise, by emotional factors.

Symptoms / sign’s Fast breathing, fast pulse, dizziness, weakness, change in the level of consciousness, vision difficulties, sweating, headache, numb hands or feet, and hunger.

First aid

·        A person in insulin shock needs sugar, quickly! If the person is conscious, give sugar in any form; candy, fruit juice or a soft drink.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - For hypothermia - Graphites, Iodum, Kali. Carb, Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Silicea, Sulphur.

BURNS

I^st degree burns are the least severe. They are characterized by redness or discoloration, mild swelling and pain, over exposure to the sun is a common cause  of first degree burns.

2^nd degree – Burns are more serious, they are deeper than first degree burns, look red or mottled and have blisters. They may also involve loss of fluids through the damaged skin, 2^nd degree burns are usually the most painful because nerve ending are usually intact, despite severe tissue damage. 

3^rd degree – Burns are the deepest, they may look white or charred, extend through all skin layers. Victims of 3^rd degree burns may have severe pain / no pain at all, if the nerve endings are destroyed.

First aid

·        1^st degree – Flush with cool running water, apply moist dressings and bandage loosely.

·        2^nd degree – Apply dry dressings and bandage loosely do not use water as if may increase risk of shock.

·        3^rd degree – Same treatment as second degree, in all case Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Cantharis, Urtica urens, Pic.acid,

o       For external Cantharis Q, Urtica urens Q

NOSE BLEEDS:

First aid

·        If you get a nose bleed, Sit down and lean slightly forward. Keeping your head above your heart will make your nose bleed less. Lean forward so the blood will drain out of your nose instead of down the back of your throat. If you lean back, you may swallow the blood. This can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, use your thumb and index finger to squeeze together the sold portion of your nose. This area is located between the end of your nose and the hard, bony ridge that forms the bridge of your nose. Keep holding your nose until the bleeding stops. Don’t let go for at least 5 minutes. If it’s still bleeding, hold it again for 10 minutes straight, you can also place a cold compress or an ice pach across the bridge of your nose. Once the bleeding stops, don’t do anything that may make it start again, such as bending over or blowing your nose.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Ammoniun. Carb, Arnica, Crotalus horridus, Ferr.phos, Hamamaelis, Ipecac, Millefolium. For external, Drench the cotton with Hamamaelis Q and smell it

SPRAINS:

Symptoms / sign’s Pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising and an inability, to move the injured part.

First aid

·        Using ice packs, ice slush baths or ice massages can decrease the swelling, pain bruising and muscle spasms.

·        Wrapping the ankle may be the best way to avoid swelling and bruising.

·        Seek emergency medical treatment and advice

·        Homoeo. Medicine: - Arnica, Bryonia, Rhustox, Ledumpal, Carbo. Ani,

For External Arnica Q, Ruta Q, Bellis per Q.

COMMON FIRST AID HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

Arnica – This is the No. 1 remedy for all cases of injury as it also deals with shock. It removes the blood back into the vessels as well. Give Arnica first in every First Aid situation.

Aconite – Fright is the keynote of this homeopathic remedy when there is great anxiety and sudden emotions. It is for any complaint that comes on suddenly after exposure to cold dry windy conditions.

Apis – This is for bee stings and insect bites where there is a lot of swelling, heat, redness and stinging pains. It is > cold applications and < heat. It is also an emergency measure for anaphylactic shock to give on the way to the hospital

Argentum Nitricum – Fear and anxiety before an event, flying and ordeals of every kind. There is distension of the stomach, burping, palpitations, diarrhoea especially after sweet things.

Arsenicum Album – for food poisoning with diarrhoea and vomiting. Feel cold and fearful – frightened to be left alone. < 11.00pm – 1.00am. Complaints after exposure to wet and damp.

Belladonna – Fever with great heat which follows Aconite well. Red, hot, skin, dilated pupils, throbbing pains. < light, noise and jarring. Throbbing headaches and mild sunstroke. > bending backwards, sitting or standing erect. Sudden and violent onset of conditions.

Bellis Perenis – Specific for bruising of soft tissue like the breast and internal organs. Ailments after a blow. Good for internal bruising after a hysterectomy. It is also called the Gardeners friend as it works well for aches after gardening.

Bryonia – A dry remedy. Dry fever, dry cough < for any movement, company or talking. Dry lips, thirst, irritable. Bursting headache < any movement. Must stay still. Red swollen, shiny joints, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica A stitching pain > pressure. Appendix symptoms which develop slowly – specific. < heat > cold.

Calendula – the healing remedy. Use the tincture as an antiseptic. For all infections and inflammations where flesh is torn. It prevents pus formation. Beware that there is no infection inside the wound or the skin will close up and keep it in! This homeopathic remedy can be bought as a cream and useful for children’s cuts and scrapes.

Cantharis – bad burns and scalds with blistering. Stops the pain.

Carbo Veg – Air hunger, wants to be fanned but is chilly. Bluish colour. After near drowning or electric shock and patient is cold, blue and lifeless. Indigestion with a lot ofwind.

Causticum – Also for burns. Take a 30C potency and the pain goes in about 7 mins.

Chamomilla – great sensitivity to pain. Teething in babies. Very irritable.

China – Any illness when a patient is weak after the loss of vital fluids e.g. vomiting, haemorrhage, sweating, diarrhoea. Distension of abdomen, flatulence, burping and discomfort. Oversensitivity.

Cocculus – For sea sickness and travel sickness. Nausea, dizziness < motion > sitting still or lying on side

Colocynthus – for colic in babies which is > doubling up > hard pressure. Also menstrual colic.

Eupatorium Perforlatum – Flu, fever with great thirst, aching, bone pain, bruised and aching muscles in back, chest and limbs. Scanty sweat. Restless, chilly, nausea. Weakness. < cold air < 7 -9am < motion. Sick headache, nausea at the sight of food. > vomiting.

Gelsemium – Also for flu but no thirst. Comes on over a couple of days. Nerves affected. Heaviness in limbs. Face a dusky red colour with heavy droopy eyelids. Muscles won’t do as they are told.

Hepar Sulphuris – Eruptions, boils, whitlows by nails, Ailments that are made worse by a draft of air. Abscesses, sensitive to touch. Sore throats, earache that has yellow thick discharge. Pain that is splinter like.

Hypericum – is the homeopathic remedy for injuries that are rich in nerves, like fingers, toes. Specific for injury to the coccyx. Use the tincture or cream for very painful cuts, grazes and burns. Also use tincture as an antiseptic as it prevents tetanus.

Ignatia – Emotional and mental stress with grief, worry and disappointment. Characteristic signing. Moody. Illness after a loss or shock. < tobacco smoke. Anger and then suppressed tears or emotions after a loss. Globus hysterica ( lump in throat)

Ipecac – Colic with nausea. Giddiness, vomiting. Profuse saliva. Any complaint where there is strong nausea. No thirst.

Ledum – Puncture wounds, which are cold to touch, wounds from rusty nails, bites, needles, wasp stings. It prevents post injury infections. (Aches and pains that are > ice)

Magnesium Phosphate – Bad cramping pains which are > heat > pressure and doubling up. Especially period pains.

Mercurius – pus, bad breath, offensive profuse sweat. Excessive saliva. Thick yellow discharges. < warmth and < cold. Sore throats, ear pains. throat infection after the pus has formed.

Nux Vom – Hangovers. Illness after too much rich food > fresh air < indoors. Chilly and irritable. Fever when every movement causes shivering even when wrapped up. Piles.

Phosphorus – After effects of anaesthetics particularly after injections for dental treatment. Jet lag. Dry irritating cough. Loss of voice. Craves ice cream and ice cold drinks. > for sleep.

Pulsatilla – Earache. Weepiness, clinging dependant, whining. Craves attention. Crave fresh air, like the windows open. > walking in fresh air. Very changeable. No thirst. Cough > vinegar

Rhus Tox – Aches and pains which are < first movement > on continued movement. < damp < rest < cold > warmth. Restless. Often stops the irritation inchicken pox.

Ruta Grav – Strains, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Bone injuries, dislocations and eyestrain. < with motion < lying on painful side. < cold > warmth

Sulphur – > open air. Boils, inflammations, a hot person, burning pains, offensive discharges.

Silicea – splinters, promotes rejection of thorns, glass etc. Boils, abscesses. MUST NOT BE USED if patient has anything artificial in body like new hip joint, pacemaker as it may cause rejection.

Rescue Remedy (It is a Bach Flower Remedy and not Homeopathy Remedy) – Loss, shock, fright, upset.