First Aid

First Aid

Though trekking will not cause serious illness but certainly it can cause minute disorders like dehydration, constipation or loose motion, bruises, twist in ankle, dislocation of joints or even fracture of bones.  So there is a need for all the trekkers to understand basics of First Aid.

Following rules should be observed while performing First Aid:

1. First Aid Box should always be with the Group Leader.

2. It should always have medicines for Headache, Constipation, Acidity, Vomiting, Cough and Cold etc.

3. Someone with any allergy should always inform the Group Leader about it.

4. Moreover if someone is suffering through Asthma, High or Low Blood Pressure, Diabetes, etc. should inform the Group   members and the leader prior to starting trek.

5. Each member should always carry any form of identification which has their blood groups and any information pertaining allergies.

	Tweezers, Scissors, Sewing needle, safety pins,Cotton
Instruments:
Dressing and wound care:	Bendaids (20), cotton buds, gauze squares (20) sterile non - stick gauze 10 cm (10) small roll of 10cm adhesive tape bandage, triangular bandage (10) elastic bandage 10cm (1) , closures eg. steristrips™ or butterfly (1pkt)
Antibiotics:	Ciproflaoxacillin 500 mg or norflaoxaicn 400 mg (20tabs) tinidazole 400mg (20)tabs
Antiseptic (Disinfectant):	Lugol's iodine solution or Betadine™ (25 ml. with dropper), Dettol™ or Savlon™
Diarrhea:	Immodium™ or Lomotil™ (10 tabs or caps)
Eye and Ear Infection:	Antibiotic drops or ointment for eye and ear
	Neosporin H
Fungal Infection:	Miconazole e.g. Daktrain™
Indigestion:	Antacid Tablets (20) gelusil
Nausea and Vomiting:	Maxolon™ or Stemetil™ (10tabs)
Painkillers (Analgesics):	Paracetamol (10 tabs), Cideine Phosphate 30mg (5tabs), Niece
Rehydration Solution:	Jeeval Jal™ , Electrobin™ (4pkt),Electrol ,Tang.
Respiratory (breathing) Problems:	Phenylephrine or Pseudophedrine nosal drop or spray, throat lozenges (15)
Alergy	Avil
Mucslar cramps	Move , Iodex spray ,Vicks
Painkiller	Anacin , saridon
Musclar	Crape bandage
Instruments:	Tweezers, Scissors, Sewing needle, safety pins,Cotton
Dressing and wound care:	Bendaids (20), cotton buds, gauze squares (20) sterile non - stick gauze 10 cm (10) small roll of 10cm adhesive tape bandage, triangular bandage (10) elastic bandage 10cm (1) , closures eg. steristrips™ or butterfly (1pkt)
Antibiotics:	Ciproflaoxacillin 500 mg or norflaoxaicn 400 mg (20tabs) tinidazole 400mg (20)tabs
Antiseptic (Disinfectant):	Lugol's iodine solution or Betadine™ (25 ml. with dropper), Dettol™ or Savlon™
Diarrhea:	Immodium™ or Lomotil™ (10 tabs or caps)
Eye and Ear Infection:	Antibiotic drops or ointment for eye and ear
	Neosporin H
Fungal Infection:	Miconazole e.g. Daktrain™
Indigestion:	Antacid Tablets (20) gelusil
Nausea and Vomiting:	Maxolon™ or Stemetil™ (10tabs)
Painkillers (Analgesics):	Paracetamol (10 tabs), Cideine Phosphate 30mg (5tabs), Niece
Rehydration Solution:	Jeeval Jal™ , Electrobin™ (4pkt),Electrol ,Tang.
Respiratory (breathing) Problems:	Phenylephrine or Pseudophedrine nosal drop or spray, throat lozenges (15)
Alergy	Avil
Mucslar cramps	Move , Iodex spray ,Vicks
Painkiller	Anacin , saridon
Musclar	Crape bandage

General injuries while Trekking and their Remedies 

Bruises: Clean the area where the skin got bruise with antiseptic soap and water and cover immediately with a clean piece of cloth or band aid to avoid any kind of infection.

Burns: Pour cold water constantly till you get relief.

Cramps: You should always intake a pinch of salt whenever having water to avoid cramps in legs. Even if you get cramps, rest for a while and gently press the area, avoid rubbing.

Blisters: Never take off with a brand new pair of hiking boots however great they feel. Use them regularly for a couple of weeks before embarking upon any expedition. Worn out & wet socks should be avoided as it could cost rucking. To prevent from rucking, take out your shoes and socks whenever you halt, wipe it and wear it again. Walking or trekking for a longer period of time ends up with blisters in your feet which can be quite painful. The best way to avoid blister is to keep your feet as dry as possible by using clean and fresh powdered socks and comfortable shoes. You may apply powder to your feet occasionally on your mission.

Food Poisoning: It is regarded to be the outcome of contaminated food but it is strange sometimes when a group of people eat the same food but one or two are the victims of it. So you can get food poisoning anytime, anywhere due to any reason but even then, avoid food that looks unpalatable to you. One can recover from food poising within 24 hours after the body ejects all the food, it rids itself from the poison too. Drink plenty of fluids and take rest.

Cold and Cough: While trekking in high altitude areas for a long time, you can get a running nose and mild cough, the symptoms of cold due to breathing excess of dry cold air. The regular cough tablets can help to treat the problem with plenty of hot soup including warm water.

Sunburn: The ultraviolet rays from the sun in high altitude places can be very powerful. While trekking, it is always good to wear a protective sun hat with sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses. As the air in those areas is also very dry and windy, the sunscreen lotion helps the skin to be less itchy. Any other lotion can be used to protect the skin and lips from getting cracked and chapped.

Dehydration: During summer while trekking, sweating is quite normal but it is important to restore the lost fluids by drinking plenty of liquids. Dehydration drains the energy out of the body making it feel weak, tired and lethargic and sometimes with bouts of headaches too and the best way to deal with it is to drink plenty of water and other fluids without getting thirsty.

Altitude Sickness: While ascending from low level to high altitude areas, a trekker might feel shortness of breath with the heart pounding in the lack of oxygen in the air. This sort of condition is called acute mountain sickness that ends up with the feeling of tiredness, loss of appetite, headache, sleeplessness, frequent nausea and vomiting. The best way to overcome this sickness is by taking enough rest and drinking plenty of liquids. And to prevent the sickness, every trekker should take a rest between the treks and get oneself acclimatized with the rising altitude and if the condition is very bad, descend immediately towards the comfortable altitude.