Ankle Injury
See Sprains and Strains
Asthma Attacks
Seek immediate medical attention if the individual:
Is wheezing or not getting enough oxygen
Is showing signs of cyanosis, including bluish lips and nail beds, pale color
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Follow the doctor’s instructions. Asthma attacks can be fatal, so make sure you administer any medication that was prescribed by the individual’s doctor.
2.Have the individual sit up straight in a chair. Then ask the person to lean forward and rest his or her forearms on a table. Elbows should be pointed away from the body.
3.Offer a beverage. Coffee, black tea, or a hot liquid like clear soup can help break up congestion and dilate the airway. If readily available, lobelia tea is also beneficial.
4.Apply a cold-water compress to the chest. In some cases, it may help stop the attack.
At-Home First Aid for Asthma Attacks
Asthma attacks can be fatal, so if the symptoms are not relieved by natural remedies, seek medical attention. For more mild attacks of asthma, or for wheezing or general congestion of the airway, there are several simple remedies that can be useful.
Household Remedies
Warming spices. Ginger can help increase circulation to the lungs — have the individual chew on a piece of candied ginger or apply a towel soaked in ginger tea to the chest or back. If the person feels up to eating, garlicky or spicy foods can help dilate constricted airways.
Herbal Remedies
Beneficial herbal teas to try include:
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). This will help break up mucus and subdue inflammation of the respiratory system.
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata). Tea made from this lobelia stimulates the respiratory system and helps stop lung spasms. Make the tea with one-fourth the normal amount of herbs (1⁄4 teaspoon [1 ml] per cup [240 ml] water), or just add 5 to 10 drops of tincture to 1 cup (240 ml) of warm water.
Garlic. Blend a clove of garlic into 1 cup (240 ml) of hot water and sip.
Homeopathic Remedies
For each of the situations described, try 4 pellets dissolved under the tongue of the remedy indicated.
Arsenicum can help control a mild asthma attack.
Ipecac is appropriate if there is excess mucus that the patient is unable to cough up or if cough spasms result in vomiting.
Spongia tosta can be used for loud wheezing.
Follow-Up Care and Prevention for Asthma Attacks
If you have asthma, be on the lookout for possible food allergens. Avoid food additives such as sulfur dioxide — often added to dried fruits and wine, it’s a common asthma trigger — and eat lots of beta-carotene–rich foods like carrots, winter squash, and sweet potatoes. Chlorophyll-rich greens such as kale and collards are good, too, because they strengthen the mucous membranes and improve oxygen metabolism. Pungent foods like garlic and onions can help open the airway. Minimize your intake of dairy and wheat products, and any products that contain yeast, as they are common allergens and can also contribute to excess phlegm.
Strengthen your respiratory system by keeping air passages clean and avoiding pollutants such as smoke, dust, and inhaled chemicals.
Back and Neck Injuries
Seek immediate medical assistance for any spine or neck injury. Symptoms include:
Pain in the back
Pain in the back of the neck
Lack of feeling in the lower limbs
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Do not move the injured person.
2.Caution him or her to lie still.
3.Immobilize the body by carefully putting soft, solid objects (such as rocks covered with towels) against it.
4.Make a cervical support by placing a folded towel on either side of the neck.
Bad Drug Trip
A bad trip is when one has a difficult time, psychologically, after ingesting a consciousness-altering (currently illegal) substance such as LSD, mushrooms, or mescaline.
If you are the one going through a bad trip, take off your shoes and socks and stand on the ground if it is safe to. Avoid traffic, driving, or any dangerous pursuit during the experience. It’s good to have a trusted friend nearby.
If you are comforting someone who is having a bad trip, show the person honor and respect. Remind the person that you are there to keep his physical body safe. Hug a frightened tripper if he gives you permission to touch him, or simply hold his hand. Get him to breathe deeply, and divert his attention with music, dance, gardening, art, or looking at plants. Get the tripper to a quiet place. If the weather is cool, offer a blanket that is thick and weighty for comfort.
Remind the person that this bad experience will not last. Give him an idea of when it will end by saying something such as, “This should be over in 4 hours.” Walk with the person, with or without talking. Offer to sit with him. Offer a crystal or a stuffed animal as a distraction or comfort. Change the music or turn it off. If the person is indoors, consider going outdoors; if outdoors, consider going indoors.
It is always best to create a safe setting before ingesting such powerful substances. It is also good to have an intention and be with people you know and trust during the experience.
Bee Stings
(See also Stings [Bee, Hornet, and Wasp] )
Seek immediate medical attention if:
The individual’s tongue swells
The individual is wheezing or has difficulty breathing
You observe skin flushing or a sudden-onset rash
The individual develops a severe cough
The individual complains of blurred vision
The individual vomits or complains of nausea
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Remove the stinger. Being careful not to squeeze the venom sac at the base of the stinger, gently pull out the stinger by dragging the edge of the fingernail or a credit card across the embedded stinger in the opposite direction from its entry. If this is ineffective, then use tweezers. Remove the stinger as quickly as possible, as the venom sac can release poisons for 2 or 3 minutes.
2.Inject epinephrine, if available. If the individual is allergic (and only if the individual is allergic), check to see if she is carrying an automatic syringe (such as an EpiPen) that injects epinephrine. Many people who know they are allergic to bee stings carry these devices. The epinephrine will help dilate the airway and prevent anaphylactic shock.
Bites and Scratches from Animals
Seek immediate medical attention if the bite:
Was inflicted by a human or wild animal
Is on the face
Happens to a child who has allergic tendencies
Shows signs of infection, such as pus formation or fever, or signs of nerve or blood vessel damage — a bluish discoloration
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Clean the wound. Wash the bitten or scratched area with an antiseptic soap and hot water. After washing, flush the wound by running the hot water over it for 10 minutes. Because bleeding helps clean the wound, encourage the wound to bleed just a bit by gently pressing around the injured area.
2.Apply an antiseptic and dressing. Lavender or tea tree essential oil, echinacea tincture, or povidone iodine can all be topically applied to further disinfect the wound. Cover the wound with a dry, sterile dressing, and secure with a bandage or adhesive tape.
At-Home First Aid for Bites and Scratches from Animals
If the bite doesn’t require emergency care, clean and disinfect the wound as noted in the two steps above.
Follow-Up Care for Bites and Scratches from Animals
To prevent infection, take extra vitamin C (1,000 mg 3 times daily), as well as 1 dropperful of echinacea and/or calendula tincture several times daily for 3 days after the injury occurs.
You can also prevent infection with homeopathic remedies. Take 4 pellets dissolved under th
e tongue 4 times daily of the following, depending on the situation:
Acetic acid for cat bites
Apis if the wound is hot and stingy and cold applications bring relief
Lachesis for dog bites
Ledum if the bite is deep, especially if the area is swollen and red and feels cold
Black Eye
(See also Bruises )
Seek immediate attention if:
The eye is bleeding
Visual disturbances persist
While you wait for medical attention:
Apply a cold compress or ice pack.
At-Home First Aid for Black Eye
A black eye is a common injury that is easy to care for at home. Here are some suggestions:
Household Remedies
Cold compress. Apply a cold compress over the closed eye to minimize swelling and reduce pain. Keep the compress in place for at least 30 minutes and then remove. If, after 10 minutes, pain and swelling persist, replace the cold compress. Continue this on/off cycle as necessary.
Poultice. Make a poultice from plantain or grated raw potato and place it over the closed eye.
Homeopathic Remedies
For the conditions described below, take 4 pellets dissolved under the tongue of the suggested remedy.
Ledum is useful if cold makes the area feel better and warmth makes it feel worse.
Hypericum can help relieve excessive pain.
Arnica can help if there is injury to the soft tissue above or below the eye, or if cold water applications help relieve the pain and the injury is either above or below the eye.
Follow-Up Care for Black Eye
To alleviate irritation and inflammation, take 1 dropperful of eyebright tincture and one or two 500-mg bilberry capsules 2 times daily for up to 6 weeks after the injury. Wear sunglasses to protect the injured eye, and seek medical attention if vision problems develop.
Bleeding
(See also Nosebleeds or Shock )
A superficial cut is called an abrasion. A deep cut is called a laceration.
Seek immediate medical attention if:
An object is deeply embedded in a wound (Do not remove it!)
The wound is bleeding heavily
The person becomes unconscious
Any body part has been severed
The wound is so wide you suspect it will require stitches
The wound looks deep
The wound affects a finger or joint
The wound is due to a broken bone
The wound is due to a human or animal bite
The wound was caused by a rusty, dirty object that may carry the tetanus bacterium
The wound was caused by a knife or other sharp object
Protect Yourself
Whenever you are dealing with open wounds, wear latex (or latex substitute) gloves or use some other form of barrier to protect yourself against blood-borne pathogens, such as the HIV virus and hepatitis.
While you wait for medical attention:
1.Unless you suspect a fracture, raise the wounded area above the heart to help reduce bleeding. If the individual is bleeding from the ears, mouth, or nose, help him or her into a semi-sitting position, and then turn the head slightly toward the side from which blood is draining.
2.Apply pressure to the wound. Slip on a pair of latex gloves if you have them. Then, as long as nothing’s embedded in the wound, cover it with the cleanest cloth available and apply direct pressure. If the cloth gets soaked through, add more cloths and continue to press firmly. Do not remove any of the cloths. If no cloth is available, use your hand or fingers. Maintain continuous pressure until the bleeding has ceased. If there is an embedded object in the wound, do not remove it. Cover the wound around the object with a clean cloth, adding more cloths as needed. Do not apply pressure to the injury site. If bleeding continues, control it by applying pressure to the main artery as described in step 4.
3.Try to keep the person calm. Stress can elevate blood pressure and thus increase blood loss.
4.Apply pressure to the main arteries. If bleeding continues, press on the appropriate point as indicated in the illustrations below. Stop pressing once bleeding has stopped. To stop bleeding in the arm, hold the limb up at a right angle to the body. Grasp the arm firmly with the thumb on the outside and the remaining fingers firmly on the inside of the upper arm, over the brachial artery.
To stop bleeding in the legs, have the injured person lie flat on his or her back. Press the heel of your hand on the femoral artery as it crosses the crease between the thigh and groin.
5.If a limb has been amputated, apply a tourniquet. Wrap a strip of cloth twice around the affected limb just above the wound, tie one overhand knot, place a stick across the knot, and tie a full knot; the stick is held between these two knots. Twist the stick until the bleeding has stopped, and then tie the stick in place. Note the time of application. Tourniquets must not be left on for more than 15 minutes or you run the risk of further amputation. Release the tourniquet slowly when bleeding stops.
6.If a body part has been severed, try to keep it cold. Wrap it with a clean cloth, put it in a plastic bag, pack it in ice, and bring it with you to the medical facility.
At-Home First Aid for Bleeding
If the wound does not require immediate medical care, your job is to clean it, stop the bleeding, and set the stage for healing. Here’s how:
1.Clean the wound. Wash your hands and the injured area with soap and water, and then rinse with running water. Blot dry. Because bleeding allows the wound to clean itself, encourage the wound to bleed just a bit by gently pressing around the injured area. If there is visible dirt in the wound, use sterile gauze to wipe the dirt out. Do not use cotton balls, as they can leave little fibers in the wound. When the wound is clean, there are several household, herbal, and homeopathic remedies you can have ready in an instant to reduce blood flow. They’re listed on here.
2.Apply a bandage. If the wound is large or going to be exposed to dust and dirt, apply sterile gauze, and secure with adhesive tape.
If you’re in an area in which plantain grows, you can pick some leaves, wash and shred them, then mix with warm water until well saturated. Apply topically as a poultice under the bandage (or instead of a bandage, if one is unavailable).
Household Remedies
Cayenne powder. Applied topically, it stings but does indeed encourage wounds to stop bleeding.
Spiderwebs. Believe it or not, spiderwebs contain a coagulating substance that can be applied to cuts. Just make sure the spider has left the web!
Herbal Remedies
Herbal salves. Any herbal salve containing infection-fighting herbs — such as echinacea, calendula, goldenseal, chaparral, osha, or lavender — or bee propolis or tea tree essential oil may also aid healing.
Cranesbill, shepherd’s purse, tienchi ginseng (Panax pseudoginseng), and yarrow. Use any of these as a tincture, powdered in a blend, or crushed and applied as a poultice. (See instructions for making a tincture or poultice in chapter 5.)
Homeopathic Remedies
Depending on the situation described, take 4 pellets dissolved under the tongue of one of the following to help reduce bleeding:
Aconitum for severe bleeding, especially if the person is going into shock and exhibits anxiety and fear
Hypericum for wounds in which there are lots of nerve endings — fingertips, for example — and for wounds in which the injured person feels a sharp, shooting pain
Ledum for deep puncture wounds, especially if the area is swollen, reddish, and numb or cold
Phosphorus for small wounds that bleed heavily
Veratrum album for victims who are bleeding and on the verge of shock
Follow-Up Care for Bleeding
Echinacea tincture can be taken orally to help prevent infection; gotu kola tincture can promote connective tissue repair. Take 1 dropperful 4 times daily for 7 to 10 days.
Blisters
A blister is a small pocket wit
hin the upper layers of skin, often caused by friction from burning, freezing, chemical exposure, or infection. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid — usually serum or plasma.
At-Home First Aid for Blisters
Relieve any pressure on the blister and leave it unbroken. Then:
The Natural First Aid Handbook Page 3
