Keep a basic first-aid kit, know how to handle minor cuts, burns, and sprains, and learn the signs that mean call 911. For anything involving trouble breathing, chest pain, heavy bleeding, or a head injury, get professional help immediately.
The common stuff
- Minor cuts — wash your hands, then apply firm direct pressure until the bleeding stops (peeking restarts the clock). Then rinse, cover, and change the bandage daily.
- Minor burns — cool running water for 10–20 minutes; not ice, not butter. Take off rings and watches before swelling starts, and leave blisters alone.
- Sprains — rest, ice, compression, elevation (R.I.C.E.). Ice 20 minutes at a time with a towel between it and your skin, and start moving gently after a day or two.
- Nosebleeds — lean forward and pinch the soft part, then hold it a full 10 minutes without letting go to check. Leaning back just reroutes the problem.
Get medical care for a burn bigger than your palm or on the face, hands, feet, groin, or a joint — and for any chemical or electrical burn. Same for a cut that's gaping, deep, spurting, from something rusty, or still bleeding after 10 minutes of pressure (ask about a tetanus shot if it's been 5+ years). If a "sprain" can't bear weight, looks bent wrong, or isn't better in a few days, get it x-rayed — plenty turn out to be small fractures.
Keep a basic kit
- Bandages and gauze, medical tape
- Antiseptic wipes and antibiotic ointment
- Pain reliever and any personal meds
- Tweezers, scissors, gloves
- A list of emergency numbers
Things like trouble breathing, chest pain, severe or won't-stop bleeding, a serious head injury, a seizure, choking, a bad allergic reaction, a suspected overdose, anyone unresponsive, or signs of stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech, and time to call right away (add sudden severe headache, or suddenly not being able to see or stand straight). That list isn't a final exam: anything that genuinely scares you counts. If someone swallowed or breathed something they shouldn't have, Poison Control is the fast lane — 1-800-222-1222, free, 24/7.
It's worth taking a short in-person CPR/first-aid class once — many community centers and the Red Cross offer them. Knowing the basics for choking and CPR is the kind of thing you hope to never use and are deeply glad to know.
Common questions
Should I learn CPR?
Yes — a couple hours in a certified class gives you a skill that can save a life. It's one of the highest-value things on this whole list.