Easily Panic?

 

When people hurt themselves, the common reaction is panic. It's out of the ordinary, shocking, and, more often than not, it hurts. The sight of blood or a burn is nobody's idea of a good time. Although each of these injuries can be serious, in most cases they aren't.

Panic usually leads to one of two things: calling an Ambulance/EMT or driving to the ER. When you get there, you usually end up spending hours in an overcrowded waiting room wasting the day away in a boiling kettle of frustration. Hospitals are overworked, understaffed and take patients on a priority basis. If you're spending a lot of time sitting in a waiting room, you can bet you probably don't need to be there in the first place.

The sight of blood is no need for alarm and definitely not a reason to rush to the hospital. It's unlikely they'll do any more than you can do by yourself, in the safe and clean comforts of your own home. The first thing to do when you get cut is to apply a clean towel, napkin, or piece of gauze and apply pressure to the injury. Doing so cuts off running and allows the blood to begin clotting-your body's natural response to stop bleeding. If the cut has occurred to a limb, bring it above your heart to limit blood flow. For a cut to the arm, raise it above your head and lay on the couch or sit with your leg elevated if cut below the torso.

If the blood comes through the first layer of towel or whatever you've applied, simply add another. Don't pull off the existing layer because it will disturb the clot and bleeding will worsen. It can take up to 20 minutes for a cut to clot, so don't worry if it doesn't stop immediately.

In the case where the blood is squirting and bright red, you've likely hit an artery. In this case, apply pressure above the cut, close to the bone, and get to a hospital. Also, if the cut leaves you feeling thirsty or cold, call an Ambulance/EMT

Have a safe and healthy day.