Are you making these first aid mistakes?

Zee Media Bureau/Udita Madan

New Delhi: Required and used by everyone, first aid is a necessity within every single household. First aid supplements should always be kept handy and around you at all times.

It encompasses every aspect of a medical emergency. You may have got out of sticky conditions that could have become serious had you not had first aid around you.

Be it a sudden illness or a sudden injury like a bee sting, a deep cut, sprain or a fracture, etc. or even a small one, for instance, something as minute as a shoe bite. Doesn't it always help to have a band-aid or some kind of antiseptic around?

But, many people do some things while giving first aid to themselves or others that shouldn't be done.

To ensure complete medical safety, below are a few points that you should make sure you don't do while giving first aid.

1. Allowing adhesive bandage to stay on a cut for days on end: When you put antibacterial adhesives on a cut, keeping it on for days will increase the moisture on the cut. After a day, remove the bandage and let it heal on its own. If the cut is deep, change adhesive bandage twice a day. Make sure the entire area is clean and dry.

2. Rubbing eyes: A speck of dirt, dust or other debris in your eye irritates you. Rubbing eyes doesn’t help you get rid of it, but causes more damage. Rinse your eyes with clean water and if the itching or discomfort continues, check with your doctor.

3. Hot compress on a sprain or fracture: If what you are dealing with are aches and pains, heat works great. However, the same will not work on a sprain or fracture. Application of heat on sprain can increase swelling. RICE treatment is what is required on a sprain, i.e. rest, ice, compression, elevation.

4. Hot water on frozen skin: If you have a frozen patch of skin, don’t think of running hot water over it to warm it up. It increases the risk of damaging skin. Soften the affected part with lukewarm water.