5 Must-Know Hacks To Treat Minor Injuries
shivani k 
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We know that it has become mandatory for first-aid kits to be set up at all places, be it school, workplace, shopping malls, or our own cars. Doctors and safety officials often advise us on carrying at least a couple of basic items with us to be able to immediately attend to unforeseen injuries or accidents. That’s the thing about accidents, they can happen anytime and anywhere, therefore the term ‘accident’. It can so happen that you might find yourself in exigent circumstances and you will surely need to be aware of handling the situation even if you aren’t equipped with emergency medical facilities.
At times, minor injuries can be taken care of on our own. But, with this article we want to help you to be geared up with basic first-aid to help yourself and others deal with injuries, accidents, or unpredicted medical mishaps. It is always a good, in fact, a great idea, to plan for every contingency. Here’s a list of some hacks that will help you treat minor injuries without having to go in search of a medical kit.
1. Do-It-Yourself Ice Therapy
In the cases of bruises, the best way to treat them is by placing ice packs on them immediately upon sustaining the injury. It treats the bruises in a quick manner. On applying ice packs on the injury, the ice cools down the blood vessels that are damaged. It also helps to control the blood leakage and even helps to subside the swelling. When an injury occurs to our body, firstly, the skin and flesh get swollen. Secondly, it’s the tissues that get damaged. Therefore, applying ice will probably defend your body from getting damaged further.
For immediate relief, place the pack of ice cubes on the bruise for about 10 minutes. However, don’t keep the ice pack for more than 20 minutes (1).
If you cannot get ice cubes, substitute the cubes with a cloth soaked in cold water, or you could also make use of a pack of frozen vegetables or fruits. Make sure you wrap them in muslin or cotton cloth and then place them on the injury (2). It is going to prevent the blood clots from developing.
2. Honey Coat For Scrapes And Cuts
Okay, so ideally if there is any sort of small cut or if you notice that you have scraped off your skin, the first step is to clean it with hydrogen peroxide or any substance that is antibacterial in nature. Research says that cleaning with saline water is also a good option (3). Once the cuts or scrapes have been cleaned and you know it’s germ-free then comes the sweet part. Apply honey over the cuts and scrapes. Applying honey will protect these injuries from getting contaminated. And honey has excellent antibacterial properties (4).
3. Go Bananas For Mosquito Bites
Yes, we have lots of mosquito repellant options right from creams, lotions, to even body sprays. But somehow, in spite of taking enough cautionary measures, at times, we do end up with mosquito bites. And we know that a single bite from these tiny monsters is enough to make anybody cranky, be it a child or an adult. It’s the tingling sensation after the bite that creates havoc. Now, you can easily get rid of irritation by using a banana peel (5). All you have to do is rub the banana peels over those mosquito bites. It calms down your inflamed skin just like that.
4. Aloe For Sunburn Recovery
Sunburns are inevitable if you love beaches. Yes, sunscreen does help, but the fact that you need to keep reapplying it on regular intervals makes many lazy to do so. In such cases, it’s the green aloe vera that comes handy. Blend some aloe gel with water in a grinder. Pour it onto the ice tray and put it in the freezer. When you get sunburned, take out the aloe ice cubes from the freezer and rub it on your irritated skin. You’ll instantly be relieved. Aloe vera is known to be full of vitamins and minerals which ease skin irritation (6). It also helps to repair the damaged skin cells.
5. Deal With Inflammations The Tropical Way
It’s definitely a little hard to believe but the hack for treating inflammations is the tropical fruit — pineapple. Apart from being antibacterial in nature, pineapple also has this chemical called “bromelain” which calms down the aggravation of injuries (7). All you need to do is rub slices of pineapple over your injury. It is going to prevent the blood from clotting and also fade the wound slowly, but effectively.
You don’t always have to turn to chemically-formulated medicines to treat wounds. These natural DIY hacks come as a savior for those who hate the smell of antiseptic liquids and balms. Do you know of any other hack to treat injuries? Let us know in the comments below.
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