Drug poisoning can be accidental or intentional. This happens because sometimes drugs are prescribed, but sometimes they are sold illegally or are also freely available in the market today. The symptoms of drug poisoning vary and depend on the medicine taken.

First Aid for Drug Poisoning
First aid for helping a person out with drug poisoning includes the procedure below:

• Keep safe and away from the victim if he turns violent as illegally sold drugs can sometimes lead to irrational behavior and aggression in people
• Call 911 and explain the circumstances (they would take a call on whether police should be involved or not)
• If it is safe for you monitor the victim’s airway and breathing
• Remove all obstructions from the mouth
• Be ready to resuscitate if need arises
• If the person loses consciousness place him or her in recovery position
• Call 911 and stay there till they arrive
• Try looking for proof for drug poisoning to hand over to the medical staff

Even if you find a suspected empty container of pills pass it on to the medical team to assess the situation and cause of poisoning.

Alcohol poisoning results from what is commonly referred to as alcohol abuse, which is the excessive intake of alcohol. Drinking is not injurious to heath unless it is unrestricted which has a severe impact on the central nervous system which controls all senses, thoughts and feelings. The initial stage of drinking gives one the kick and gradually one begins to lose reason and thought with successive drinks. As the consumption increases, one’s capacity to breathe decreases till he or she finally stops breathing.

The risks associated with alcohol poisoning therefore include – injury, vomiting, choking, hypothermia, decreased and eventually no breathing.

First Aid for Alcohol Poisoning
You should always be prepared to resuscitate a person for alcohol poisoning and if he or she becomes unconscious place in a recovery position.

• Monitor the breathing and airway
• If unconscious place in recovery position
• If he vomits remove the vomit from the mouth or it could also lead to choking
• If conscious make the person stay still
• Check for external injuries and treat
• Keep the person warm as high intake of alcohol dilates the blood vessels making him or her more vulnerable to cold
• If you are confused about the condition of a person call 911 at once

Alcohol poisoning should not be underestimated say experts. The effect of alcohol varies from person to person and depends on various factors such as body weight, intake history and body fat.

Miscarriage is a terrible loss for a couple, especially the mother. Giving the right kind of assurance and medical attention can save her the trauma. A miscarriage is characterized by the loss of a child in the mother’s womb within the first 24 weeks. Many causes can be detected but sometimes it remains a mystery. Most of the reported miscarriages have occurred before the twelfth week itself.

The symptoms of miscarriage include bleeding (spotting or sudden heavy flow), cramp like pain in the abdomen, shock caused by bleeding and passing fetus with other products which may seem like a big plot of blood.

First Aid and Treatment for Miscarriage
If you are assisting a person having gone through a miscarriage, follow the procedure below:

• Give assurance to the person because she is going to be highly distressed and scared at that moment. Get another woman’s help or her partner’s to assist you in bringing her to a private position, if need arises.
• In case of excessive bleeding, pain and shock call 911 at once
• Reassure again and again and offer her whatever she needs like a towel, sanitary pad, etc
• Anything that has passed out has to be examined by the medical staff but keep it away from the patients view

Group therapy works well for mother’s who have lost their babies to share and come to terms with their loss. Doctors should assist in finding support groups.

An asthma attack occurs when the muscles of the airway go into a spasm and make it very difficult for the person to breathe, particularly to exhale air. Asthma attacks can be a result of stress, accident or an allergy. Sometimes, the causes cannot be identified. However, the incidence of asthma attacks has been on the rise.

First Aid for Asthma Attack
First aid tips for helping someone with an asthma attack are listed below:

• Reassure the person as that could calm the person down and ease breathing
• Make the person sit and bend a little forward to aid in breathing
• If the person has an inhaler to control the asthma attack, then help him or her reach it
• If the person is still in distress call an ambulance
• Help the person take medication/inhaler every 5-10 minutes before medical assistance arrives (the medication does not work within 5 whole minutes for a person who is suffering his or her first asthma attack)

A person is usually exhausted after an asthma attack. If the breathing improves, medical help may not be needed. However, referring the attack to a doctor is always advisable to detect the cause of the asthma attack. A spacer (medication is put at the end from where the child just breathes in) is recommended for children instead of an aerosol inhaler which is commonly used by adults.

An allergy is when the body recognizes a substance or as an allergen as harmful for itself and reacts with hypersensitivity. Though some allergies are minor and occur in the form of a skin rash, sneezing, minor swelling, red and irritated eyes; a major anaphylaxis can result in shock, which if not treated in time can lead to death. Severe allergy sufferers show symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and impaired consciousness and need immediate medical help.

First Aid for Allergies
Some first aid and safety tips for an allergic reaction are:

• Reassure the person and try finding any history to allergies suffered by the person
• Calamine lotion or cold compression can be applied to the skin rashes and itchy areas
• Try identifying the allergen so that a person is not exposed to the substance often
• Medical advice is always helpful because tests will help finding the allergen or substance you maybe most likely be allergic towards

Mild allergies are caused by common allergens such as insect bites, long grass, stings, flowers and hairy animals who are potential carriers of allergens that are shed through their dander.

Though not always serious, abdominal pain can be a sign of a serious underlying ailment such as appendicitis, hernia, stomach ulcer, muscle strain or severe internal bleeding. In case an infant or a child has abdominal pain accompanied with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and fever, immediate medical attention is absolutely necessary.

First Aid for Abdominal Pain
In order to assist someone who is suffering with abdominal pain you would need to take the following steps:

• Assess the history of the pain to rule out injury, internal bleeding, poisoning or any internal ailment
• Make the person sit or sleep in a comfortable position and provide a hot water bag to get relief from the pain
• Medical assistance is necessary if the pain does not subside within half an hour

Call 911 or rush to hospital under the following circumstances:

• If the person or child vomits blood (stomach ulcer)
• If the person has high temperature (infection)
• If the abdomen becomes rigid (internal bleeding)

The above three symptoms are signs of serious internal problems and medical attention is vital.

A speck of dirt can enter your eyes while driving, watching a football match or anywhere. The most obvious reaction is to rub it. But experts suggest that rubbing it would only magnify the problem which can even lead to blindness. Tiny specks of dirt can be anything – gravel, wood, eye makeup, dust particles, etc. Whatever it is, DO NOT rub your eyes.

First Aid to Remove Dirt from Eyes
Follow these steps below to remove the specks of dirt from your eyes:

• Blink – Blinking will bring tears to your eyes which will naturally wash off the dirt and grit from your eyes.
• Splash lots of water – Splashing is the safest way to remove tiny specks of dirt from the eyes.
• Roll the eyeball – Hold the upper lid and roll the eyeball in a circular motion to bring the dirt out from the inside to the outside.

Serious eye injuries have symptoms such as redness, itching, burning sensation, tearing, inflammation and blurry vision. Tiny specks of dirt can cause injury within a few seconds which is usually induced by rubbing the eyes. Seek medical or professional help for removing specks of dirt from your eyes, if you cannot do it on your own. If your eyes still hurt or burn after the above three procedures are followed, close your eyes for 30 minutes. If the discomfort persists, approach a doctor immediately.

Insulin shock occurs in persons suffering either from low blood pressure, poor eating habits or too much of insulin. Very commonly observed in diabetics, an insulin shock should be attended to at the earliest. Looking for typical symptoms for an insulin shock can guide you to understanding the needs of the victim.

First Aid for Insulin Shock
If you are assisting a person who goes into an insulin shock, you would have to react as below:

• Look for symptoms such as irritability, increased heart rate, varying consciousness, dizziness, pale, sweaty and severe hunger pangs which are all signs of a person going into an insulin shock.
• When a diabetic complains of not feeling too well, you need to give him or her some sugar to bring up the blood sugar levels in the body. Chocolates, sugar, soda or fruit juices need to be given to bring a person out of an insulin shock.
• In severe cases of an insulin shock, the person loses consciousness. Monitor the airway and breathing by making him lie down with his chin facing up. If the patient is still breathing, rub some sugar on the gums which the body will absorb. If the victim is not breathing, call for emergency services immediately.
• Even if you have met with the immediate action and administered sugar to the victim, you need to get medical help and consultation for further complications, if any.

Experts suggest that the best way to treat insulin shock is to prevent it. A diabetic should be eating and drinking right to balance blood sugar levels in the body. Proper sugar intake can prevent insulin shocks.

Internal bleeding can be potentially life-threatening because you are unable to determine at the very beginning. Heavy internal bleeding can happen in the abdominal cavity, the digestive tract, the chest cavity and tissues surrounding a broken bone. Excessive internal bleeding is not apparent though the organ affected can cause pain to the victim. Eventually, the bleeding becomes apparent with symptoms such as vomiting or coughing blood or bleeding from the nose, ears or rectum, shock instigated by weakness, thirst and skin appearance.

First Aid for Internal Bleeding
Following are the first aid and safety tips for internal bleeding:

• Call emergency services immediately
• Make the person lie still with legs elevated
• Keep the victim warm
• Reassure the victim
• Monitor the airway and breathing
• If the victim is unconscious be prepared to manually press the chest to pump blood into the heart (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
• If unconscious make the victim lie still with legs elevated and bent at the knees
• Treat all external injuries
• Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink

Internal bleeding can occur in any part of the body such as the stomach, spleen or liver which have a rich blood supply. In most of the cases, the symptoms are hard to identify and internal bleeding starts days after an accident had happened. Though less serious internal bleeding can be treated with cold compression, severe internal bleeding should not be ruled out.

Angina attack is a medical condition where arteries cannot cope with the demand for blood flow into the heart that is usually caused due to increased heart rates while an excessive exercise routine or during a sudden emotional breakdown. During an angina attack, the victim experiences acute chest pain, which acts as a warning sign for the victim to stop activity and rest.

First Aid for Angina
While helping a victim suffering an angina attack, follow the procedure below:

• Try calming the victim down to rest and reassurance would help in reducing the heart rate
• Generally a victim of angina attack has some medication (a puffer or tablet) prescribed and which needs to be placed under the tongue to increase blood circulation to the heart. So help the victim find the medicine and administer to him or her.
• If chest pain continues call an ambulance or emergency sufferers
• Call for medical assistance if the victim has not suffered an angina attack before
• If the victim is an angina sufferer listen to what he or she wants you to do carefully and do as asked

Arteries get narrowed down by the fatty acids and therefore, an increased demand for blood flow to the heart cannot be met. Owing to the lifestyles and unhealthy diet patterns people follow today, chest pain and angina attacks have become very common. The only way out is to eat healthy and engage in moderate exercises.