These Essentials Should Be in Your Emergency Health Kit

Prevention is better than cure, but in times of emergency, it’s important to be able to do both. One of the ways to prevent further injuries and cure common ones is by having a first aid kit at home. This is a health kit that can help in providing treatment for injuries, sickness, and accidents. In addition to its practical use, having a basic medical kit also brings peace of mind.

There are ready-made first aid kits on the market, but you can also build your own health kit. However you get it though, there are items that should always be included in your medicine kit. Below are essentials to stock up on!

The basics are tools that can assist you while performing first aid procedures. These include primary tools used in treating wounds such as safety pins, adhesive tape, petroleum jelly, latex or non-latex gloves, cotton balls, tweezers, and cotton-tipped swabs.

Cleansing wipes or hand sanitizers, which should be used before doing a first aid procedure, can lessen the risk of infection. These should be on your kit as well. Other necessities that should be included are emergency phone numbers and scissors.

Cuts and scrapes are common injuries that can occur anytime, which is why bandages are must-haves in your emergency kit. Adhesive bandages should come in assorted sizes since not all cuts and scrapes are the same.

Sterile medical gauze can be used for covering, cleansing, and securing wounds. But before you cover your wounds, use appropriate antiseptic solutions such as betadine and hydrogen peroxide to thoroughly clean open wounds from germs. It’s important to note that the product to use depends on the type of wound. Meanwhile, topical antibiotics or antibiotic ointments are also recommended to treat burns, minor cuts, and scrapes.

Having a calamine lotion can lessen itchiness from sunburn, insect bites, chicken pox, and skin allergies. If you can’t find a calamine lotion, look for hydrocortisone cream or ointment. Make sure to also include antihistamines for allergy symptoms and reactions. Antihistamines can either oral or topical. For burns, aloe vera topical gel or cream can help in providing relief.

Besides following the R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) procedure, having elastic bandages that can wrap wrists, ankles, knees, and elbows can lessen the pain of sprains and strains. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, and acetaminophen can be taken orally.

Besides tools for physical injuries, it’s also recommended to include medicines for common illnesses such as flu, sore throats, headache, fever, stomach ache, and cold.

For cold, fever, and flu, it would be useful to have a thermometer to keep track of your temperature. Decongestants and nasal creams or vapor rubs can relieve runny nose and congestion. Ice packs also help in reducing your temperature.

For sore throats, include throat lozenges and sprays to soothe the pain. In case of headaches, over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen ease migraine and tension headaches. In addition to medicine for these illnesses, stock up on vitamins to boost your immune system.

As much as we want to avoid injuries and accidents, they can happen to the best of us. The next best thing is to be prepared, so ensure that you have an emergency health kit with all the essentials.

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