Common Myths About First Aid And The Truth Behind Them

First aid is one of the most vital skills anyone can learn, as they can provide basic but immediate care during that most vital of times between an incident occurring and professional help arriving.

Effective first aid can help ensure someone is in a safe position to be treated and is taken care of quickly enough to reduce the risk of major complications or even death.

However, because first aid is a widely known set of skills and is so important, it has also built up a mythology. From some “essential” first aid kit contents that are not necessary to particular treatments and techniques, here are some common first aid myths and the truth behind them.

Butter Side Down

We can blame pioneering Prussian surgeon General Von Esmarch for this, but a common myth that has continued to be passed down from generation to generation is the idea that butter can help soothe a burn.

Two aspects of this are technically true; butter tends to be cool and anything cool will help soothe a burn at least temporarily. As well as this it does seal off the air and prevents infection a little bit.

However, General Von Esmarch’s intentions were simply to avoid sepsis and amputation. The butter traps heat in the skin, which makes the burn worse and increases the pain, scarring and healing time.

Hot And Cold

Heat and cold therapy are used when treating injuries to control blood flow, with heat increasing the rush of blood and cold compresses slowing down the flow of blood.

Some have suggested that if you have a strain, sprain or fracture, you should apply heat to increase circulation and help the healing process, but in practice all this does is increase the swelling and make it harder for the affected area to properly heal.

Instead, for the first 48 hours after an injury, avoid using heat therapy, and only do so under the supervision of a trained physiotherapist.

Instead, use a cold pack for about 20 minutes each hour to gradually reduce the swelling.

The Turmoil Of Tourniquets

A tourniquet is one of the most controversial pieces of first aid equipment, primarily because if used incorrectly it can cause serious harm.

When dealing with severe bleeding, a tourniquet that does not completely cut off blood flow is very useful for reducing blood loss and keeping people alive longer. However, if applied too tightly, it cuts off blood flow entirely and can cause tissue damage and potentially require amputation.

Instead, if you do not feel comfortable using a tourniquet, wrap the wound with a dressing, put pressure on it and keep it raised up to slow down blood flow.

When Good People Do Nothing

Ultimately, the biggest myth is that it is better to do nothing in a situation than risk making it worse, which is simply not the case.

Bleeding people left untreated bleed out and die, people who are unconscious and breathing but not in the recovery position risk swallowing their own tongue, and people who are not breathing will die very quickly.