You may not know the importance of a first aid box until you need it. Picture this scenario. You come back from work, prepare dinner, feed your kids, bathe them and send them to bed. Then you take your bath, climb into bed, and prepare to sleep. You are already on your way to dreamland when a loud crash wakes you up. You rush out to locate where the crash is coming from, which takes you to the kitchen where your 5-year-old is wailing and bleeding amid pieces of a glass cup.
It turns out that your child went to the kitchen to drink a glass of water. It slips and crashes on the floor. Some of the pieces nicked his hand, which caused the bleeding. This type of scenario in the middle of the night can be scary. So what will you do?
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Frantically knock on your neighbour’s door to come and drive out their car so you can drive your child to a hospital, or take care of the situation with a first aid box?
The second option seems easier and more practical, and you are right. You now see why a first aid box is a must-have in your household? Now, let us talk about the 20 items that should be in your first aid box.
20 items to include in a first aid box
1. Bandages
Bandages are usually the first things you will spot in a typical first aid box. It can come very handy in emergencies. So, the more bandages you have, the better. They come in various sizes and it is best to invest in all of them. If you cannot afford all, get the ones you feel you need most. Just ensure that bandages are in that first aid box.
2. Cotton balls or swabs
They are excellent for applying antibiotic creams or antiseptics to small wounds without using your fingers. Buy a large quantity because you will need more than enough to clean a wound, particularly when it is deep.
3. Antiseptics or wipes
Antiseptics or wipes are used to clean wounds and reduce the risk of infection. Of course, you will need your injury looked at by a professional. But if it is not too serious, just clean it with the antiseptic using cotton balls. Then bandage to heal properly.
4. Pain relief medications
Pain relief pills like aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol and others should always be available in your first aid box. Also, ensure you have pain relief ointments like sprays, and creams which are used to treat cramps, sprains, swelling due to muscle pain, and minor injuries.
5. Tweezers
Ever stepped on a sharp object that got stuck in your skin? This is why you need tweezers. They can remove ticks, splinters, or other debris from your skin. Only then can you begin to add other medications to facilitate healing.
6. Scissors
You must not wait to become a fashion designer to understand that scissors are important items you must have. For medical purposes, scissors are used to cut bandages and any other thing that needs to be cut while trying to treat a wound or injury.
7. Thermometer
Thermometer is used to check the temperature of a person. It is very much handy as a parent, since children tend to fall ill at anytime, including the middle of the night. When you suspect someone is having a fever, just use the thermometer to do your confirmations. You can use the digital, ear, strip and infrared thermometers.
8. Syringe or medical cups
Although it is not advisable to administer injections without instructions or the supervision of a certified healthcare provider, having a syringe can help especially if the people you are living with have any medical background. The safest option is just get medical cups or spoon which you can use to administer oral medications.
9. Latex or non-latex gloves
You can wear these gloves to reduce the risk of contamination. Gloves can protect your hands from the body fluids of others and protect wounds from getting infected from germs on your hands.
10. Ointments
They include antibiotic ointments which are designed to treat minor cuts, scrapes, burns, scars, and eczema. There are plenty options in the market, the most common which is penicillin. If the problem is not life-threatening, go ahead and apply any of these ointments.
11. Cough and cold medications
We are approaching the rainy season, where catarrh and cough often occur. Do well to include their medications in the first aid box. If you have kids, you most definitely need to get them because kids are vulnerable to these viral infections.
12. Laxatives
Have you ever suffered from constipation? It is not a good situation to be in. So, get laxatives so you can use it whenever the need arises which can be at anytime.
13. Adhesive tape
Also known as surgical tape, it can be helpful to secure dressings and bandages in place. Use hypoallergenic, non-latex tape to reduce the risk of skin irritation or reaction.
14. CPR mask or shield
It can be used to protect yourself while performing CPR or rescue breathing.
15. Hand sanitiser
A hand sanitiser can be used to clean your hands before treating a wound. This is to prevent contamination which can lead to some complications. Invest in a good hand sanitiser especially if you are around an area where clean water is not easily accessible.
16. Instant cold or hot pack
Instant packs are useful for reducing swellings or stiffness. While cold packs help with swelling and pain in injuries like a sprained ankle, hot packs help with cramps and stiffness.
17. Sterile gauze pads
These are used to apply pressure to a wound to stop bleeding or to cover big wounds.
18. Pen light
This is a small, slim flashlight about the size of a pen. The size of this pen makes it ideal to look into throats, ears, eyes or nostrils to look for stuck objects. It can also be used to look for cuts that may not be easily identified with ordinary eyes.
19. Eye patch
Can be handy if something happens to the eye. The eye patch can stop you from blinking or itching the affected area which can cause further damages.
READ ALSO: Why every home must have a first aid kit
20. First aid manual
A manual is invaluable in a first aid box because a lot of people are not trained to manage emergency medical situations at home. Get a manual with easy-to-understand directions and clear illustrations or photos. Familiarise yourself with it so you will know what to do when a medical emergency occurs.
