Concussions And Kids

One of the biggest fear any parent faces when leaving their child in someone else care (day care provider, family member, friend, etc.) is the risk their “baby” will get hurt while they are gone. Unfortunately, I was recently faced with just such a scenario. My 3-year-old daughter was spending the day with a family member and returned with a HUGE bruise and laceration on her forehead. The cut sat in the center of a large bruise, which was located smack in the middle of her eyebrows. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Apparently, my daughter slipped … Continue reading →

Home Remedies For Bug Bites

I managed to hold out until May to get my first mosquito bites. Unfortunately, the little pests managed to chomp me in the armpit — a somewhat embarrassing place to try to scratch! Mild reactions to insect bites can be quickly and easily treated at home. Deal with the bite itself as soon as possible: If a stinger (like from a bee or wasp) remains in the bite site, try to pull it out as soon as possible! Use a flat knife or other flat edge to scrape out the stinger; venom may remain in the stinger and can be … Continue reading →

Treating Sprains and Strains

Your muscles connect to joints and bone by tissues called tendons. When a muscle contracts, the tendon is pulled, allowing the joint to move. If the tendon becomes stretched or torn, you’ve got a strain. Another kind of tissue — ligaments — helps stabilize your joints. If the ligament is stretched or torn, you’ve got a sprain. So what causes a sprain or a strain? Stress. If your muscles and joints are moving in a way they aren’t ready for or just aren’t supposed to be moving, you can end up with a sprain or strain. If you do have … Continue reading →

Treating Burns

Minor burns (like first degree/superficial burns, or small partial thickness/second degree burns) can often be treated at home. The most important thing to do is stop the burning process! Put out any fire or flames — stop, drop, and roll if your clothes are on fire. Remove hot/burned clothing if possible. Stop contact with hot steam or a hot object; your reflexes make take care of this one. In other words: if you stay in contact with the heat, you will continue to burn. Next, you want to cool the injured area. Run water over the burn for at least … Continue reading →

Burn Basics

I picked up a lovely fresh focaccia bread at the food store over the weekend and decided it would be even better served warm. So, I plunked it down on a pizza pan and stuck it in the oven for a few minutes to heat up. Brilliant, focused chef that I am, I reached out for the pan NOT with the hand that had the oven mitt, but with the one that didn’t. Instant burned fingers! Burns can be caused by more than just heat (or stupidity). Electricity, friction, chemicals, and radiation can also cause burns. Traditionally, the severity of … Continue reading →

How To Remove A Tick

Though we refer to them as “tick bites,” ticks don’t exactly bite. They burrow into the skin head first and get stuck there if you don’t remove them correctly. Why are ticks dangerous? Several different types of tick can cause Lyme disease — so they need to be removed quickly and they need to be removed correctly. Try not to touch the tick with your bare hands; wear gloves if you have them available. Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as you can get them. Pull gently, using constant pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; … Continue reading →

How To Treat A Jellyfish Sting

We’re getting close to the start of the summer… and that means beach time! If you’ll be spending time at the ocean with your family, you may need to know how to treat a jellyfish sting. There isn’t usually much warning before a jellyfish sting. You may not even know a jellyfish is near until you’ve been stung. The sting comes from the jellyfish’s long tentacles that trail behind the bell-shaped body. The venom in the tentacles is alkali-based, and has a chance of causing a severe allergic reaction. If you or someone you’re with gets stung, here’s what you … Continue reading →

Treating Dog Bites

In case you don’t know me in my other life as a Pets Blogger here at Families.com, I’m the owner of two dogs. We just weathered a cross country drive to relocate to the Portland, Oregon area… and had our first adventure at the dog park when a wheaten terrier attacked my Moose. In all the excitement, I got bit on the thigh. Well, let that be a lesson to me (and to you) — it’s never a good idea to try to physically break up two dogs that are fighting. But I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly; there was a … Continue reading →

A Traveling Health Kit

When you are going to be away from home, you should prepare a traveling health kit. Your traveling health kit has two purposes: to let you continue to take care of pre-existing medical conditions and to treat minor health problems that may arise while you are away. The contents of your traveling health kit will vary based on where you are going, how long you’ll be away, and your own personal health issues. For example, if you tend to get headaches more frequently than an upset stomach, it will be more important for you to have a painkiller than a … Continue reading →