Poisoning is a condition that can occur due to a person swallowing, injecting, breathing in, or otherwise being exposed to a poisonous substance.

Vital first aid steps: recognizing signs and symptoms of poisoning
Symptoms of poisoning vary according to the poison, but generally include abdominal pain, a blue tinge to the lips, chest pain, confusion, coughing, diarrhea and difficulty breathing, dizziness, double vision and drowsiness. Victims of poisoning may develop fever, headaches, heart palpitations and become irritable; complaints of loss of appetite, loss of bladder control and excessive muscle twitching, nausea and vomiting along with numbness or tingling and occasional seizures, shortness of breath and visible skin rashes that look like burns are common signs too. Severe poisoning cases may cause the victim to be in a state of stupor, fall unconsciousness or dispel unusual breath/odor whereas the one common link is always a feeling of weakness in all victims of poisoning.

Emergency first aid steps if poisoning occurs by swallowing

• Call the local poison control center for advice first or dial 911 for medical help.
• The first aid give must check and monitor the victim’s airway, breathing and circulation and attempt rescue breathing and CPR immediately.
• Since poisoning may not always be obvious, it is wise to ensure the situation calls for necessary measures. Smelling the victim’s breath for chemicals, burns around the mouth or any strange odors emanating from the person may help in identifying the poison.
• It is not advisable to try and induce vomiting unless advised by the poison control center.
• If the victim throws up, the first aid giver needs to be alert to help protect the victim’s airway; wrapping a cloth around the fingers before cleaning out his/her mouth and throat is a handy way to do so.
• If the victim has vomited a plant part, save the vomitus because it can help in identification by an expert who can likewise determine the antidote for the poisoning.
• If the poisoning victim gets convulsions, the first aid giver needs to protect him/her from injury and give convulsion first aid. This includes speaking soothingly to the patient to reassure him/her and turn them on their left side while awaiting medical help.
• If the poison spills on the victim’s clothes, he/she should be stripped of them and their skin flushed with water to get rid of any possible residue.

Emergency first aid for inhalation poisoning

• The first aid giver should only attempt to rescue a victim of inhalation poisoning if it is safe for him/her to do so without danger of toxic gas, fumes or smoke. Holding a wet cloth over the nose and mouth and opening windows and doors to remove the fumes is the first step to letting in fresh air to counter the toxicity of the poison.
• Never light a match as this may ignite poisonous gases.
• After rescue, check the victim’s breathing and circulation. Give CPR if necessary and call for medical help.

Drugs, whether prescription based or non-prescription drugs, can be dangerous when taken as an overdose. Drug overdose can also cause severe renal and kidney impairment from ingesting and Paracetamol is one example that though an excellent analgesic, if taken as directed, can be fatal if taken as an overdose.

Risk of drug overdose: checking for indicative signs
Many a time people looking for quick relief use another person’s medication, which is a very dangerous practice and may prove to be an overdose for someone whom the medication does not suit. Where drug overdose is concerned, a risk group is elderly people as they are prone to memory lapses as are unsupervised children, who may take drugs accidentally or just as a prank. In both cases, serious consequences can be expected, which may be life threatening as well, if left unchecked.

A person suspecting a victim of drug over dose needs to first check for the related symptoms of the condition, which includes:

• Any signs of empty containers of pills, altered level of consciousness and slurred speech
• Difficulty breathing, slow pulse and rapid or erratic heartbeat
• Irrational behavior, abnormal pupil activity or unconsciousness
• A suicide note
• Injection marks on the arms, behind knees, thighs and groin area of the victim that look like ‘tracks’.

First aid measures when drug overdose is suspected
If the caregiver suspects that a person is suffering from a drug overdose and exhibits the above-mentioned symptoms, he/she needs to give psychological support and immediate resuscitation may be required. The first aid giver needs to contact any emergency medical services telephonically, like 911 and give details of the outward signs of the drug overdose victim and await further instructions. In case this is not immediately possible, the first aid giver needs to ascertain whether the overdose was an attempt at self-harm and prevent the victim from trying to repeat this by moving him away from any danger.

• Symptoms often depend on the drug, the amount taken and the person’s bodily constitution. Some poisons are weak and cause minor distress, while others may be potent and can lead to serious health risks and possible death.
• Calling up the Poisons Information Center for advice is the best option as first aid measures may call for removing the drug from the body in many situations, this can mean giving activated charcoal which binds the drug so the body does not absorb it.
• The poison information center may also guide the first aid giver about administering an antidote, which is possible for some drugs till admission to a hospital for further treatment is possible.
• In the event that activated charcoal is given, it is usually passed with the next bowel motion in a day or two.
• If the victim of the drug overdose gets violent, call the police.
• Do not attempt to make the victim vomit.
• If pills have been the cause of the overdose, keep the container to show the medical team so they can decide the best course of treatment.

Learning the basics of first aid and associated techniques can help save precious lives or at least prevent a health situation from posing more danger, if left untreated. Knowing about first aid measures that can be followed for dental emergencies is a necessity for individuals and family people as these are common problems one faces at some stage in life or another.

Some common dental problems: relate first aid measures
Among the most common everyday occurrences related to dental problems are injuries to the mouth. These may include teeth that are knocked out (avulsed), forced out of position (extruded) or broken (fractured) and children as well as grown ups may suffer from it. Dental problems are very non-discriminatory as far as age, sex or weight go. On a more serious note, these dental emergencies may at times extend to injuries to the lips, gums or cheeks and these may be wounded or have cuts. Oral injuries are often painful and need immediate medical treatment by a dentist as soon as possible.

• Avulsed teeth occur when a tooth get knocked out. In such a situation, the first aid giver needs to call the dentist for emergency advice and try and find the tooth. If found, the tooth needs to be rinsed under water, but not scrubbed to remove dirt or debris that may be lodged in it. The clean tooth should be put back in the mouth between the cheek and gum, but not into the socket without advice as this could cause further damage. If the first aid giver acts fast and the tooth is located within half-hour of the injury, it is possible to re-implant the tooth. In the event that avulsed teeth occur in a young child and it is not possible to store the knocked out tooth in the mouth, it can be wrapped in a clean cloth/gauze and immersed in milk.
• Extruded teeth occur when a tooth is pushed out of place, inward or outward, and need to be repositioned to its normal alignment with very light finger pressure. Forcing the tooth into its socket is not advisable; instead, the first aid giver needs to hold the tooth in place with a moist tissue or gauze and seek dental advice within half an hour about the next step.
• Fractured teeth do not really come under the scope of dental emergencies unless they cause the victim immense pain. Depending on how badly the fractured tooth is broken, the first aid measures are decided and these too are in concurrence with a dentist’s advice as soon as possible.
• Injuries to the soft tissue in the mouth can result in tears, puncture wounds and lacerations to the cheek, lips or tongue. The first aid measures call for cleaning of the affected area and depending on the wound, possible suturing by a dentist.
• Bleeding from the tongue is another complaint that can be dealt with by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the wound area.

If a person is choking before your eyes, there is a lot you can do to prevent the condition from worsening or becoming life threatening, which it has a strong possibility of turning into if not dealt with in a timely manner. Choking can lead to unconsciousness and cardiopulmonary arrest and are many a time the result of food or other foreign bodies getting lodged in the airway or the throat. Fatal figures point to about 3,000 deaths per year due to choking caused by foreign body airway and therefore, it becomes even more necessary for responsible citizens to know simple first aid measures to turn these statistics around to a minimum. With recognition and proper management of choking, there can be greater safety in homes, restaurants and other public places where choking is a health hazard that can take precious lives.

Preventing choking: guide to first aid givers and family safety
Cutting food into small pieces is necessary for both children and adults and the old rules for not talking with food in the mouth is a wise one when one considers the greater possibilities of choking severely on it are greater. Food needs to be chewed slowly and thoroughly, especially for those wearing dentures. People need to be restrained during meal-consumption and avoid laughing and talking during chewing and swallowing and limit intake of alcohol before and during meals. Grown ups need to track children and their actions during meal times and supervise play activities with special attention paid to keeping things like marbles, beads, thumbtacks and other small objects out of their reach. There is nothing like prevention to beat choking and guiding children to sit in one place and eat keeps them from walking, running, or playing with food or toys in their mouths.

First aid steps on noticing someone choking

• Ask the person if they are choking and observe the reaction, whether vocal or physical.
• Allow the person time to speak, if he/she can or cough, breathe in the suspected choking scenario without immediately interfering as many a time, the person manages to get over the temporary event.
• If the person choking cannot speak, cough or has difficulty breathing, the first aid measure to be followed is the Heimlich maneuver, which is a sub diaphragmatic abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) until the foreign body is expelled or the victim becomes unconscious.
• If the victim who is choking is an extremely obese person or is in the late stages of pregnancy, give chest thrusts instead of abdominal ones.
• If the choking victim falls unconscious, the first aid giver needs to position him/her on the back with arms by the side.
• Call other persons present for assistance and dial an emergency medical service or 911 for help.
• Performing a tongue-jaw lift and finger sweep to remove the foreign body is a good technique as it helps the person breathe by opening the airway. It also makes the airway more accessible to attempt rescue breathing.

Chest pain and its causes are many a time not easy to interpret and may be due to minor or major internal problems. In the first category would be chest pain arising due to indigestion or stress while in the serious medical emergency situation, chest pain can be indicative of a heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

What constitutes a heart attack: reading the signs of chest pain right
A heart attack takes place when an artery that supplies oxygen to the heart muscle gets blocked and the resultant causes chest pain lasts for several minutes, in many reported cases, for more than 15 minutes. However, on the other hand are equal instances of silent heart attacks that do not show any outward symptoms or complaints of chest pain. Health experts opine that chest pain is the earliest predictor of an attack, particularly if it is recurrent in nature, triggered by exertion and relieved by rest.

• Chest pain linked with a heart attack causes an uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest and lasts more than a few minutes.
• If the chest pain spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms and the person feels weak after that, first aid measures need to be put in practice according to heart health necessities.
• Complaints of lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath in a person are regular signs pointing to a strong possibility of a heart attack and emergency measures need to be administered immediately.

First aid for chest pain: heart health and the caregiver?s lifesaving steps
The first thing a person dispensing first aid to a patient complaining of chest pain along with the above mentioned symptoms needs to do is dial 911 or any relevant emergency medical assistance. This is vital in the event that the chest pain is related to cardiac problems and the timely arrival of trained paramedics helps start emergency treatment quicker than getting to the hospital many a time. Often, those in far-off areas or crowded localities benefit from telephonic guidance and emergency medical assistance personnel that advise the first aid giver to act faster than a drive to the hospital could help.

• Giving the patient aspirin to chew while waiting for emergency assistance helps the victim of chest pain to speed absorption.
• Beginning CPR in case a heart attack is suspected or the person falls unconscious is the safe thing to do after a person complains of severe chest pain, lingering for more than a few minutes. This cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be administered with telephonic tips by emergency service personnel and is not difficult to administer for those who may not even be trained until such time that medical help arrives.

Other possibilities of a chest pain include strained muscles from overuse or excessive coughing or muscle bruising from minor trauma. These also require medical attention and expert opinion for correct diagnosis and first aid measures only extend to helping the person get some rest in a comfortable position till doctors can attend to the patient.

Everyone loves to sing out loud when spring is in the air; however, along with the colors of spring and the lightness of being able to enjoy those, the fly in the ointment-and literally so sometimes- may be the issue of spring visitors of the winged-variety. Bee stings are as common as the outside activities that people love to plan during spring (and every other seasonal holiday mood) and need to be dealt with in a smart and timely manner, to prevent the possibility of infection and allergic reactions. Though most insect bites can be irritating, they are usually not dangerous; but, for some people, bee stings can cause an allergic reaction that can become serious and even life threatening.

First aid tips for inspecting bee stings: steps

• The person administering first aid needs to examine the sting area closely, look for the stinger as it may still be in the skin.
• If the bee’s stinger is sighted and one can access it, it needs to be removed carefully by scraping it along with the attached poison sac from the skin. Health experts advise against using tweezers, fingers or anything similar as this can squeeze more poison into the body.
• If the person stung by a bee complains of severe irritation on the sting site, a mild application of alcohol or a paste of baking soda and water may be rubbed gently onto the skin. Ice is another good healer and gives instant relief for the soreness after a bee-sting. Caution must be exercised though, in applying alcohol to relieve itchiness and avoid sensitive skin near the eyes.
• If the bee stings near the mouth or in it, a mouthwash comprising one teaspoonful of baking soda in a glass of water, or a piece of ice to suck on may be given to the affected person. The first aid giver needs to monitor the victim for any signs of swelling or difficulty breathing. If either symptom occurs, one needs to get immediate medical help.

Checking for allergic reaction to bee stings: first aid facts
The caregiver extending first aid to a victim of a bee sting needs to check for signs of any allergic reactions to the sting. These include one or more of the following symptoms: itching/rash around the bite that spreads all over the body; a white, pink or red-blotchy bump on the skin, general swelling or near the airway, any complaints of weakness and headaches. Particularly alarming would be signs of post-bee sting fever, breathing difficulties, attacks of anxiety and abdominal cramps and vomiting.

Other factors to keep in mind while tending to bee-sting victims
A person may or may not have severe reactions to bee stings, however, the first aid giver needs to be aware of the possibilities of what may happen and alert the victim likewise. Casualties are known to develop hives and severe breathing difficulties wherein immediate measures of rescue CPR can make the difference between life and death.

When a person is in a state of unawareness and unable to respond to people and other stimuli around him or her, it is termed as unconsciousness. However, there may be other changes later on that medically may be collectively termed as Altered Mental Status or Changed Mental Status and these include sudden confusion, disorientation or stupor.

Understanding the state of unconsciousness
Unconsciousness and any other sudden alteration in mental status needs immediate first aid and must be treated as a medical emergency as it can lead to further damage to the affected person. The best thing for a first aid giver to do if a person is looking less alert than usual, is ask simple questions to judge his/her mental status at the moment. An easy manner and gentle tone is required to make these inquiries, including name, age or the date today- and the answers will indicate whether the person’s mental status is diminished if the responses were incorrect/ or person unresponsive.

Considerations for unconsciousness: a common condition that can be dangerous
Many persons may think that being asleep is the same as being unconscious, however, there is nothing further from the medical truth. An unconscious person will not respond to loud noises, gentle shaking and is unable to cough or clear his/her throat. This is potentially fatal if the person’s airway becomes obstructed as it can lead to death.

Causes and symptoms: understanding the condition of unconsciousness
Unconsciousness can be caused by major illness or injury, as well as substance abuse and alcohol use. Short spells of unconsciousness, commonly referred to as fainting, are often the result of dehydration, low blood sugar or temporary low blood pressure. It can also be caused by serious cardiovascular or neurological illness and a doctor’s opinion needs to be sought to determine the exact cause of the change in mental status. Straining during a bowel movement, strenuous coughing or hyperventilating, such as the condition occurring during a panic attack, are other possibilities.

First Aid steps for dealing with unconsciousness in a person

• Call an emergency medical help line and then proceed to check the person’s airway, breathing, and circulation frequently.
• If the person is breathing, a spinal injury is not evident and patient lying on his back; the first aid giver needs to carefully roll him toward himself and onto the victim’s side. Then, the victim’s top leg should be adjusted in a way to allow the hip and knee to bend at right angles.
• Gently tilt the victim’s head back to keep the airway open.
• However, if the unconscious person’s breathing or circulation stops at any time, roll the person back on to his/her back and begin CPR.
• In case a spinal injury is suspected, leave the person in the same position if he/she is breathing freely, but if the victim vomits, log roll by supporting the neck and spine to keep head position neutral with body position and roll onto his/her side.
• Keep the unconscious person warm till medical help arrives.

The sting of the scorpion is the stuff many classic tales are made of, but for those experiencing it first hand, it may be more than just a yarn for dark, stormy nights ? and quite painful in the bargain too. Since scorpions love the night, they may be difficult to avoid or even sight and as they sting with the tip of their tail- as the last few segments of their abdomen are commonly referred to- they can cause a lot of discomfort and fear in the victim.

However, medical health experts are quick to assure us that most cases of scorpion poisoning causes pain like that of a honey bee sting and is not always fatal.

Knowing the species: facts about scorpions and their ?sting of death?
Scorpions have crab-like pincers that are used to hold and tear apart their prey, usually small insects being their beloved target and not humans, as we like to fear. The small species of scorpions reach maturity at three-fourths inch while their bigger counterparts are known to measure nine-inches. The commonly held belief that scorpion bites are fatal is only true for Centruroides and is restricted to very small children and the elderly or those severely allergic to them. This species, Centruroides, is found in North America and is the only known killer of humans. They are usually old-straw-yellow or yellow with dark longitudinal stripes and reach from 2 to 7.5 centimeters in length, with long, slender pincers instead of bulky and lobster-like ones.

The sting is potent and painful and is increased by a light tap on the area. The other parts of the world can breathe easy as this species is found exclusively in Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States.

Hurry with the first aid: scorpion stings and bites

• First aid for any scorpion sting calls for cooling the wound as this allows the body to break down the molecular structure of the venom more easily.
• The use of cool running water or ice water is advisable since cooling also reduces pain.
• The victim needs to be reassured and spoken to sympathetically and the first aid giver can help ease the trauma of the scorpion bite victim by giving him/her a wet compress to soothe the affected area.
• Keep the victim calm and still as any undue panic and activity can speed up the venom?s spread.
• If the patient has not been administered the Tetanus immunization booster in the last 5 years, a local doctor needs to be contacted for giving this immediately.
• Remove any rings or constricting garments/accessories around the affected area as this site may swell.
• If the scorpion was of the Centruroides species, post-sting symptoms may include heavy sweating, difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, loss of bowel control, jerky muscular reflexes and respiratory distress. In this case, the first aid giver needs to make arrangements for speedy evacuation to a medical facility where necessary Antitoxins are available.

Those persons that are not accustomed to using their muscles frequently or have used them wrongly may suffer from muscular aches and pains. This condition is also known to occur in persons who have overused their muscles. The more severe kind of muscles pain is often accompanied by complaints by the patient of swelling and restricted movement. If referred to a medical health expert, these are the combined result of damage to the muscles, tendons or ligaments and can manifest itself physically in terms of a sprain or strain.

Recognizing the common signs of muscles pains
Medical advice may be needed in case there is serious loss of movement, if the patient complaining of muscles pain finds it is very severe, the area is swollen or warm to the caregiver’s touch; also in situations where the muscles pain has not improved after self-care treatment or is the result of a back injury.

R.I.C.E. the best treatment for muscles pain
Sprains, strains or other soft tissue damage are best treated by the RICE course of therapy for the first 48 to 72 hours and every caregiver needs to be aware of these four crucial steps. RICE treatment refers to:

• Rest-which means no further exercise for the patient for a period of at least 3 days.
• Ice- that needs to be applied in a pack every few hours on the affected area. One precaution however, is to never apply the ice directly on the skin but use the commercially available ice packs and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to a T. If that is not possible, the first aid giver should wrap some cubes of ice in a towel and use it on the affected area.
• Compression- requires the first aid giver to use a firm crepe or elastic pressure bandage to help limit the swelling around the area where the muscles pain has occurred.
• Elevation-is most necessary in treating muscles pain as it helps to keep the injured body part raised and thus, reduce the swelling.

Muscle aches, stiffness or soreness caused by overuse or unaccustomed use can be effectively relieved by anti-inflammatory or products that are used for heat rub therapy too. However, the first aid giver needs to be aware that these products must not be applied to broken skin, or near the eyes or mucous membranes; furthermore, use of these heat rub inducing products is potentially unsafe when used with sealed dressings and therefore best avoided in such a situation. Gentle exercise, massage and medicine may also help restore mobility in the case of muscle soreness and stiffness.

Further first aid steps for muscles pain
After 48-72 hours, the first aid giver can use hot packs heated in boiling water or the microwave, or a hot water bottle to give relief to the patient suffering from muscles pain. Introducing gentle exercise in heated spas or hot baths, doing about 10 very slow stretches, twice a day, without straining or bouncing, is also known to help.

When it comes to spider bites, those most at risk are the very young, the elderly and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. This is the case with any kind of poisoning situation a first aid giver may face. The first thing to remember in helping a victim of spider bite is to identify the bite, which means to recognize the symptoms of the bite and classify whether it is venomous or not.

Symptoms of a venomous spider bite

• If the victim has been the recipient of the sharp fangs of a Red-Back Spider, it is possible the bite and the giver – may often go unnoticed, as the spider is really tiny. However, most victims recall feeling the sharp pinprick they felt when on the receiving end, followed in most cases by severe pain at the site of the bite, leading to more general pain.
• Other signs of a venomous spider bite include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain and partial loss of muscle control.
• Often, victims of spider bites have reported extreme perspiration occurring in varying degrees, especially around the area of the spider bite.
• A common enough after effect of a spider bite is swelling of the affected area and so is the quickening of the heartbeat.
• If the first aid gives suspects that a funnel-web or mouse spider is the cause of the bite, the bite needs to be treated as quickly as possible by applying a pressure bandage and immobilizing the victim

First aid steps for treating spider bites
It is important to remember that for treating spider bites, one does not cut the wound or apply a tight tourniquet. For Redback spider bites, even bandaging is not necessary and since this kind of spider bite is painful, it is inadvisable to apply pressure to the area. Instead, applying a cold pack may be more helpful to ease the pain. For most kinds of spider bites, this is helpful and no other first aid is necessary. However, it is prudent to err on the safer side and seek medical opinion to confirm the nature of spider bite and if further medical attention is required.

Understanding the nature of spider bites
Spider venoms are a blend of many chemicals; some toxic, evolved to kill or immobilize insects by attacking their nervous systems; others help break down the victim’s tissues so the spider can ingest a liquefied meal. Unfortunately for us humans, some spider venoms contain chemicals that can be seriously toxic to people, though the common spider venoms cause no more than mild local pain and inflammation. Only when dealing with funnel-web or mouse spider bites, is it necessary to use a pressure bandage as these slow down the movement of both tissue fluid and blood near the surface and prevents the venom from rapidly reaching the bloodstream. Thus, it is a very effective treatment as long as the patient is kept still.