first aid kit for the warm season

What tools should you have at home, and especially take on a hike, to a farm or country house, in order to anticipate possible problems as much as possible?

The head of Mēness aptieka, located at the Gaiļezers inpatient unit of the Riga East Hospital, pharmacist Elena Bebre, will help us put together a seasonal first aid kit.

1. Allergy to pollen from flowering plants (poplar, birch, hazel, pine and other trees and grasses) often overtakes a person suddenly. And those who have not encountered a similar condition before are sometimes lost and do not understand what to do.

Antihistamines, especially for people prone to allergies, should definitely find their place in the spring first aid kit. It is better to always have them at hand, you never know who and at what moment may need emergency help.

Let me remind you that a doctor treats allergies, but a pharmacist will always recommend emergency remedies. First generation antihistamines very often cause a side effect – drowsiness, and therefore they should not be taken during the day if your activity requires concentration and you drive a car or any other vehicle.

The pharmacy may recommend you second-generation antihistamines, the active ingredients of which are loratadine, cetirizine and others. Such drugs do not induce a drowsy state, are taken once a day, they remove or reduce the unpleasant symptoms of allergies – lacrimation, pain and itching in the eyes, swelling, runny nose, sneezing, redness on the skin.

If you know that you usually start sneezing and crying at certain plants that sow their pollen in April-May, then in two weeks you can start taking second-generation antihistamines: the severe allergy may not torment you so much. Be sure to also go to an allergist if you haven’t been there yet.

2. Disinfectants, disinfectants and sterile dressings. Unfortunately, few people who are actively involved in gardening and landscaping a territory or plot of land manage to avoid puncture or cut wounds, abrasions, bruises, and some kind of skin damage. Therefore, the first thing I want to ask today is: do you have a tetanus vaccine? Talk to your family doctor about this.

Any damage to the skin (cuts, lacerations and puncture wounds) is dangerous due to bleeding and infection. Therefore, even minor, in your opinion, abrasions should not be ignored. And the first thing that is important to take care of is modern (!) antiseptics. I advise you to put in your home medicine cabinet special products intended specifically for treating wounds, mucous membranes, and skin.

Ideally, they do not contain aggressive substances towards the skin. For example, alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, which kill many infections, but at the same time burn the edges of wounds, make them larger, slowing down the healing process.

Therefore, we often recommend using an aqueous solution of iodine, ocdenidine dihydrochloride, phenoxytethanol, benzalkonium hydrochloride, chlorhexidine, and an aqueous solution of furagin to disinfect wounds.
Sterile wipes, regular gauze bandages, and various plasters will come in handy. The use of a patch (silicone or conventional bactericidal, polymer) helps fix the edges of the wound, eliminates pain during dressing, reduces the load on the wound, and protects.

In certain situations, take note, so-called finger caps are very helpful – special caps made of latex or other materials that will reliably protect a cut finger from water and other things. Every housewife should have these finger pads on her kitchen table; they are very practical when cooking or washing dishes.

3. Means that repel bloodsuckers. A spring-summer attraction in our region is the activity of ixodid ticks, which live not only in forests and meadows, but even within cities. Try not to forget about these secret enemies; use protective equipment if you work in the garden or want to go out into nature. Is there a vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis? This is just great! But the Lyme disease that these creatures carry is also completely unnecessary…

Mosquitoes and other midges also become a big nuisance when the weather warms up, so repellents – natural or synthetic – can help us! I always warn pharmacy visitors that they should definitely not use aggressive aerosols or, in general, any products containing irritating chemical components for small children. Children will benefit from special wrist bracelets to protect them from mosquitoes; there are also special bio-plasters containing essential oils that repel insects.

4. Elastic bandages (narrow and wider) and ointmentswhich will help in case of minor injuries – sprains and bruises.

Special ointments that you can buy at the pharmacy will help you cope with pain, hematomas (bruises) and swelling in the case of the same bruise.

Painkillers with the active substance diclofenac sodium will help relieve pain and swelling if there is a sprain, bruise or micro-torn ligament. Cooling gels and ointments can be of great help. Thanks to the cooling effect of menthol or other components, such products dull pain.

For hematomas, we recommend using heparin ointment, ointment with arnica or badyaga.

If the situation does not improve, especially if a dislocation is suspected, you should definitely contact a surgeon.

If, as a result of physical activity (in the garden or on a hike), you “get a headache,” you should use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with an analgesic effect, which are based on active substances such as ibuprofenum (ibuprofen) or dexketoprofenum (dexketoprofen) and others.

We usually recommend taking 1-2 tablets to help relieve the pain. But remember that such drugs cannot be taken often and especially for a long time, only for a short time. Always consult your doctors and pharmacists! Let me remind you that if you used such an ointment with declafenac, then this place must be protected from the sun and hidden under clothing!

5. It is imperative to have means that will help with stomach upsets and mild poisoning.

Blessed sunny weather has a downside, as it can contribute to faster spoilage of food and, therefore, the risk of food poisoning. On picnics, food exposed to direct sunlight or traveling in cars can change its condition – this, unfortunately, we tend to forget about during various outdoor activities. Remember the safety rules – this time.

And secondly, let there always be adsorbent preparations, such as activated carbon, in your first aid kit. It is better to take charcoal as soon as you feel unwell – orally, at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight, but only after consulting with a specialist.

If you suffer from severe diarrhea or nausea, you should drink a liquid that contains electrolytes to replenish the body’s balance – the pharmacist will tell you how to get it using powders that need to be dissolved in regular drinking water.

For diarrhea, a drug containing an active substance, the beneficial bacterium Saccharamycetes boulardii, helps. The drug has a beneficial effect on our intestines, microbiome, soothes the intestines and normalizes stool.

If symptoms of food poisoning do not go away within 48 hours or worsen and include stomach cramps, blurred vision or delirium, you should immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance.

6. Sunscreen for face and body (if you are in the sun without outerwear) – in spring and until the end of summer, SPF 50 protection. Previously, experts said that SPF 30 was enough, but now they recommend using stronger protection. This way you will save yourself from burns and skin cancer. The last argument, I think, is more than compelling.

7. A drug for sunburn, as well as those caused by fire, grill or other hot objectis a cream or spray containing the substance panthenol.

8. Medicines that you take regularly for the treatment of chronic diseases. Do not forget to take to the country, on vacation, or on a trip all the necessary medications that, according to your doctor’s recommendation, you should take on an ongoing basis.

…And the last general advice for spring: antioxidants will not hurt now, they will support immunity weakened by the winter period. They are contained: vitamin C – in citrus fruits, rose hips, kiwi, red sweet pepper, spinach; vitamin A – in carrots, salmon, cod liver; vitamin E – in vegetable oil, broccoli, nuts, fish, avocado; coenzyme Q10 – in herring, sesame, chicken, beef, broccoli.
After consulting with your doctor, you can take antioxidants as biological supplements for a month or two in the spring.

Consult with pharmacists and doctors who will help you put together a first aid kit for the warm season. And may spring be healthy and joyful for you!