Summertime First Aid
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-162 -- More Projects »
Host Mary Ellen Pinkham is joined by registered nurse Susan Jerome, who has a medicine cabinet full of summertime first-aid treatments.
- Insect bites and stings are common during the summer. Most are not serious, but a bee or wasp sting can be. If someone is stung, remove the stinger by gently scraping at the area with a knife blade or even a credit card. Apply meat tenderizer to the bite as fast as possible to reduce pain and swelling and to slow the absorption of the poison. To relieve the itch, apply ice packs and hydrocortisone cream.
- Another way to take care of bee and wasp stings is to make a paste of baking soda and water and spread it over the sting. This should help reduce swelling and pain.
- Warm, moist air is the enemy of medications. Store medications in a cool, dry place. Some drugs should even be kept in the refrigerator, out of the reach of children. Make sure to ask your pharmacist about proper storage.
- To relieve painful sunburns and to cool down the area, rub it with apple-cider vinegar or pat it with a wet tea bag.
- Summer is the season of car trips, so be prepared for passengers who suffer from carsickness. Make sure to bring along waterproof plastic bags and a damp washcloth. In addition, bring bland food and beverages such as unbuttered popcorn, crackers, water or ginger ale. People prone to carsickness should sit in the front seat and keep the window open or the air conditioning on.
- Poison ivy, oak and sumac all leave red, painful itchy rashes. If exposed, flood the affected area with rubbing alcohol as soon as possible. Rinse or wash all contaminated clothing and tools as well. Once the rash appears, apply compresses that have been soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, three times a day.
- For a nosebleed, sit down, lean your head back, and firmly pinch the fleshy part of your nose for at least 10 minutes. If the bleeding does not subside, apply an ice pack to the forehead and the bridge of the nose, while continuing to pinch the nose closed.
- Keep a pair of nylon hose in the first-aid kit. They work great as a rope and can even be fashioned into a sling. Just tie the feet together and rest the arm in the bow.
Resources The American Red Cross First Aid and Safety Handbook
by The American Red Cross and Kathleen Handal, M.D. (ISBN: 0316736465)
Little, Brown and Co., 1992
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