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Basic first aid tips for burns, bites, and bleeding

Basic first aid tips for burns

We’ve all been there: someone we know has come running in from the outside, swinging their arm or leg at you, shouting about the injury they’ve just suffered. Or, maybe someone’s burnt themselves on the stove or got too rough with a nearby animal. They’re panicking, and now you’ve got to do something about it. Here are some basic first aid tips for burns, as well as insights you can follow for bites and bleeding, two other common types of wounds. Knowing exactly what to do helps you keep calm and collected in an emergency.

Basic first aid tips for burns

There’s a lot of conflicting information about what to do when a burn occurs. Taking a first aid course would tell you the best thing to do.

For children and adults alike, the most common burn is a heat burn, so that’s what we’ll talk about here. You’ll need to find out how a burn happened so that you can determine how serious it is and whether hospital attendance is needed, and then you can get to care for the wound. Stick the affected area, usually a hand, straight under a cold water tap for about 10-20 minutes. You’ll most likely get a scar and a lot of physical pain otherwise!

For a bite

Bites can come from anywhere: bugs, cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, amphibians, literally anything! So they’re an incredibly common type of wound, so we need to know how to take care of them.

If it’s an insect bite, you’re going to need to gently clean the area, and then apply an ice pack to it if there’s some swelling or redness, as this soothes the area better than cream. Then, just try to keep your nails off of it to keep from itching, as this very easily leads to infection.

If it’s a dog bite, put a towel over the area, as it’s probably big, and keep it raised to increase blood flow. Then wash it and assess the seriousness of the bite.

If someone is bleeding, basic first aid tips

If someone has a cut, you need to know whether they require stitches or not, as looks can be deceiving. However, if the blood doesn’t successfully clot after about 15 minutes, or it looks obviously deep, a trip to the hospital is in order.

Of course, one of the best solutions to anything you are worried about is to call up a 24 Hour Doctors hotline or service and ask for advice, or even take the person along to them to have them looked over.

Don’t worry if you’ve mistaken something for more serious than it is, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Remember that if you don’t think a hospital trip is in the cards, pick up the phone!

Use this advice if you’re in doubt, as these are all verified by doctor’s tips.

16 thoughts on “Basic first aid tips for burns, bites, and bleeding”

    1. Anonymous

      Thanks for being here, Debby! I know you’re busy and it means a lot that would take time to read and share ~ You’re the best <3

  7. Sageleaf

    It’s always good to brush up on a little medical knowledge. Your bit on the dog bit made me remember a little story: I had studied an EMT course at the local community college and was doing an ER rotation. Oh man, I had to treat a man’s leg with a pit bull bite. It was awful. While I felt bad for the guy, I was trying to keep myself from fainting at the sight of his mangled leg. That’s when I learned that the medical field was not for me. LOL. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, sweet friend! xox

    Reply
  8. Willow Croft

    So, I guess shoving a tube of Neosporin and some band-aids at them while running out of the room is the wrong approach? *laugh* (joke–this horror/gory movie aficionado faints at the sight of blood in real life)

    Reply

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