Whilst we do our best to ensure the home is the safest place sometimes accidents do still happen, but not to worry here we tell you how to deal with these incidents in the best way.
1. Bumps and bruises-
Bumps or bruises are often caused by the heavy impact of an area of your body with another surface i.e banging your knee on a table. This then leads to what is commonly known as a bruise which can be quite sore and nasty looking. Luckily we have a handy acronym to help you reduce the severity of the bump or bruise. RICE is a method on treating bruise bump effectively
- Rest the injured part.
- Ice the area with a cold pack
- Compress the area with a bandage
- Elevate the area
These tips will not completely stop you getting any bumps or bruises but it will reduce the severity of them. Learning how to handle bruise bump is essential for first aid training
2.Head Injuries-
Often head injuries are met with serious panic, (the brain is one of the most important parts of the body after all) but often these injuries can be looked after at home as long as you understand the signs of a head injury which may potentially require urgent assistance. Head injuries can be really common around the house, especially if you have younger children who may run into things at head height.
DOs
- hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel) to the area regularly for short periods in the first few days to bring down any swelling / bruise bump
- rest and avoid stress – you or your child do not need to stay awake if you’re tired
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve pain or a headache
- make sure an adult stays with you or your child for at least the first 24 hours
DONT
- do not go back to work or school until you’re feeling better
- do not drive until you feel you have fully recovered
- do not play contact sports for at least 3 weeks – children should avoid rough play for a few days
- do not take drugs or drink alcohol until you’re feeling better or have recovered from bruise bump
- do not take sleeping pills while you’re recovering unless a doctor advises you to
How to tell if your head injury requires urgent intervention-
-Person begins vomiting
-Change in behaviour
-Problems with memory
-Previous brain surgery
-Drinking or drug taking before the incident
If the person suffering from the head injury shows signs of any of these please take them into your nearest A&E.
3.Grazes-
Grazes are very likely to occur especially if you’ve got kids who enjoy running around outside. Whilst they are only surface level deep, it is still important to treat to encourage the most hygienic healing.
If the graze is initially bleeding heavily be sure to use either a clean cloth or bandage to apply pressure to the area as this will reduce the amount of bleeding.
Clean hands and antiseptic wipes will be your best friend when dealing with grazes as they reduce the chances of infections. Once the graze has been cleaned, simply place a plaster or gauze over the top to allow healing without further risk of unwanted bacteria getting into the wound.
So here’s how you can easily treat bruise bump in your own home! Don’t forget if ever in doubt you can always call 111.
