First Aid: Sprained Ankle

Since I’ve been obsessing lately about possible ankle injuries, this is as good a time as any to look at other mishaps that could befall me while walking the dogs. Okay, I’m mostly kidding. Mostly. (You didn’t know me as a kid, but I was incredibly clumsy.) If you think you’ve sprained your ankle, here are some things you can do: Rest. It’s important to give the injured body part a chance to heal! You may not need to be entirely inactive, but you may need to put things like jogging or power walking on hold. There are other things … Continue reading →

What Is a Stress Fracture?

After my mysterious foot pain while walking the dogs, I was afraid I might have a stress fracture in my right foot. I’m pretty sure I just stepped wrong, but I’m still curious about stress fractures. A stress fracture is an overuse injury. In a normal fracture, a sudden, high force event (like a fall) breaks the bone. In a stress fracture, the forces involved are lower but happen repeatedly for a long period of time. You could also call a stress fracture a “fatigue fracture”. They are most often seen in athletes who run and jump on hard surfaces. … Continue reading →

Stressing Over Stress Fractures

I don’t know if I’m accident prone lately or what… but it seems like I’ve been extra clumsy. I was out walking my dogs Moose and Lally today. Since we don’t have a yard, I try to take them out at least four or five times each day — sometimes longer walks and sometimes just a quick piddle outside the patio. We were on a longer walk around the apartment complex, and maybe two-thirds of the way home when I guess I just stepped wrong. I got a shooting pain up the outside of my right ankle, from the sole … Continue reading →

How to Perform CPR

Before I even get started here, I want to say this: the best way to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is to take a class. But just in case you never get to take a class, or it’s been a while since you got certified and want a refresher, here it is. First things first: make sure you are safe. Don’t start CPR in the middle of a busy highway, for example. But also make sure you take universal precautions to protect yourself against communicable diseases. Universal precautions include: Wash your hands before and after any emergency medical action. Wear gloves … Continue reading →

Cheekbone Injuries

Late at night, I sat blogging at my computer when I heard a “Bam!” followed by my three-year-old screaming. I dashed in there to find him standing in the middle of his room, a huge goose-egg growing on his cheekbone just under his left eye. He wouldn’t let me put any ice on it—he just cried and hung onto me until I was able to get him back to sleep. The next morning he had an outrageous black eye, and the coloration didn’t go away for about two weeks. At that time, I noticed he still had a little lump … Continue reading →

Healing Cuts and Scrapes

Earlier this week, I took some time to learn about New-Skin (thanks to some misadventures with glass). Now in addition to the two cuts I got at the glass studio, I have a long scratch on my wrist from my work at the cats only boarding facility! It’s not been a great week for me when it comes to gracefulness. But I’ve got three good-sized wounds all on my right hand: a slice on my index finger, an odd L-shaped cut on the back of my hand (from jabbing myself with a cut piece of glass), and an inch-long claw … Continue reading →

Cold Relief Away From Home

Are you at home, close to your medicine cabinet every time a sore throat strikes? I’m not. I can remember coming down with a nasty upper respiratory infection while I was on a long car ride. With every mile, my throat hurt worse and worse until I was just about ready to cry. I didn’t even have a cough drop in my purse, just miles of misery. One of the best things you can do to relieve a sore throat is to gargle with warm salt water. But what can you do if you’re away from home or stuck at … Continue reading →

What is that New-Skin Stuff, Anyway?

I happen to have a number of cuts on my hand at the moment (I’ve been taking classes at a glass studio in Portland and was especially clumsy yesterday) and had the opportunity to try that “New-Skin” stuff — it’s part of the first aid supplies they keep on hand. New-Skin (and other liquid bandages) brush on and dry quickly, forming a flexible, waterproof covering for cuts, scrapes, skin cracks, and blisters. The original New-Skin brand product was invented more than a hundred years ago and got its first trademark in 1901. Several different companies make and market liquid bandages, … Continue reading →

First Aid: Dealing With a Fever

A fever means your body is trying to fight an infection. If you have a fever, you may feel: Warm or hot — but often without sweat. Chills. The temperature inside your body can be very different from the temperature in the room! Achy. When I have a fever, my joints ache. For other people, the ache may be all over or only in certain places. Headachy. A fever almost always comes with a headache for me! Fuzzy-headed or easily distracted. Treating a fever doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some things you can do at home to treat … Continue reading →

What is in Your First Aid Kit?

A better first question would be — do you HAVE a first aid kit? I hope you do. In an emergency, a first aid kit is an extremely handy thing to have. In fact, the Red Cross suggests keeping a first aid kit in your home and another in your car. They also suggest knowing where your first aid kit is at work and keeping one in the dorm. There are lots of first aid kits available for sale. Mine came from Costco. You can pick one up at your local pharmacy, or even order one from the Red Cross … Continue reading →