CHAPTER SIX: Medical Emergencies
“Safety is a cheap and effective
insurance policy.”
- Author unknown
Section D: Walking Hazards
“Do not think because an accident
hasn’t happened to you that it can’t happen.”
- Safety saying, circa early 1900s
Sprains and Strains
Sprains happen as ligaments, the soft tissue that holds your bones together,
are stretched or torn. Strains happen as tendon and/or muscle tissue is
stretched or torn apart completely. Falls and over exertion are the major
causes of hikers’ sprains and strains. The signs are pain when the
joint/limb is moved, discoloration, swelling, or any distortion of the damaged
area seen by comparing it with the joint/limb on the other side of the body.
“You don’t need to know the whole
alphabet of Safety. The a, b, c of it will save you if you follow it: Always Be
Careful.”
- Colorado School of Mines Magazine
Treat the affected area with an ice pack for about twenty minutes. If the
victim is still in pain, it may be a sign of a serious sprain or strain.
Immobilize the area, bring the victim to a medical center and treat for shock
if necessary.
Sun exposure and skin cancer
“Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from
the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer. When the sun is strong,
spend time in the shade, cover up with clothing and use sunscreen with at least
SPF 15 and 4 or 5 stars.”
- Cancer Research UK
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/sun-uv-and-cancer
Every year more Americans expose more of their skin for longer periods of time
to gain a socially desired tan. As a result of this questionable
behavior, skin cancer rates have been soaring. The incidence of the most
deadly form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, which each year kills more than
nine thousand Americans has jumped 93 percent in the last eight years. In
the 21st century, the chance of developing malignant melanoma in
your lifetime is about one in 70. Some of this may be due to the
increased use of high count sun screens, which protect the wearer from sunburn
and encourage longer exposure to the sun's rays. There are two less
serious forms of skin cancers, Basal cell and Squamous cell carcinoma, affect three
in every ten adults in their lifetimes and four in ten of those born after
1970.
When it comes right down to it, sun tanned skin is sun damaged skin and subject
to skin cancer and premature aging. The term healthy tan is an
oxymoron. Deliberate sun tanning is something that a knowledgeable and
prudent person avoids. To protect yourself from the harmful effects of
the sun's rays wear a wide brim hat, long sleeved shirt, and trousers.
Cover all exposed skin with a sun screen, number fifteen or higher. Limit
your exposure to the sun during summer days, by staying out of direct sunshine
between the “high sun” hours of one P.M. to four P.M. If your shadow is
shorter than you are, get under cover from the high sun. This also is a
good time of the day for outdoor recreationists to nap in the shade, as lions
and other carnivores do.
“Carefulness costs you nothing.
Carelessness may cost you your life.”
- Safety saying, circa early 1900s
Plan to do most of your summer hiking in the cooler morning hours. In
warm weather, walk slowly and do not hurry. Make camp around lunch time
and rest under shade during the high sun hours of the day. Use the late
afternoon and early evening hours at your campsite, enjoying nature’s world
with activities such as fishing, berry picking, rock hounding, wildlife watching,
and resting in the evening shade.
There is a time and place for everything, and the time and place for active
outdoor recreationists during hot sunny summer days is not out in the noon day
sun, unless they happen to be mad dogs or Englishmen. Beware the
deception of a cloudy day, as clouds cannot shield you from the dangerous
effects of all
nonvisible
light, such as X and UV rays invisible
to the human eye.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I
began to miss the Cold War of my youth. During
the Cold War, I could easily hate an enemy Russian soldier who is carrying an AK-47. I have a hard time hating a virus.”
- James P. Buchanan
Lyme disease
This is a dangerous infectious disease resulting from a bite of Ixodes dammini;
a tick commonly known as the deer or bear tick. Lyme disease is caused by
a coiled bacterium, a spirochete called Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried by the
tick. Doctors have named the disease for the town where it was first
identified; Lyme, Connecticut.
“The best way to treat a tick biting
you is to avoid being bitten in the first place.”
- James P. Buchanan
Tick distribution
At first the deer tick (Ixodes dammini) was found
primarily in coastal areas from Delaware to Massachusetts. A few years
later, the tick spread into Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and the West Coast
states. Now, the deer tick is now found in at least forty‑three states
and may soon spread into five more states. It is also now found in some
European countries. About 10 to 65 percent of the Ixodes dammini
population may harbor the Lyme disease spirochete. The ticks are spread
in grassy and wooded areas by animals, such as birds, mice, deer, and domestic
animals.
Many times, the bite of Ixodes dammini may go unnoticed. After an outing
in tick habitat inspect your body for the freckle size ticks. It may take
a tick up to twelve hours to connect itself to your skin, so you should check
for the tick soon after exposure to its habitat. If you find an attached
tick, first cover its body with thick oil such as mineral oil. This cuts
off the tick’s air and causes it to relax its hold. After its grip has
loosened, remove it with a pair of small tweezers. Be careful not to
squeeze the tick’s body; but grasp it where the mouth parts enter the skin and
pull away, gently but firmly. Wipe the bite area with an
antiseptic. Place the tick in a bottle and label it with the date, when
the bite occurred, the place where you picked up the tick and the location on
your body where you found the tick. Then, take the bottled tick to your
local medical center.
About 75 percent of the people bitten by an infected tick develop a slowly
expanding red rash called Erythema migrans, which heals from the center forming
a red ring. Further symptoms of Lyme disease that might develop include
fatigue, mild headache, pain, stiffness in joints and muscles, slight fever, or
swollen glands. If you feel that you may have contracted Lyme disease
contact your local medical center and have your blood tested. Lyme
disease can be treated with antibiotics.
The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to avoid the ticks’ habitat. If
this is not possible, when in tick habitat, wear protective clothing such as a
wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt, trousers, and boots. Tuck your
shirt inside your trousers. Tuck the trouser legs into socks and
boots. In addition, apply a tick repellent around your ankles.
“So why create the poisonous plants at all?”
Mack queried, handing back the twig. (Sarayu then answers) “Your question
presumes that poison is bad; that such creations have no purpose. Many of these
so-called bad plants, like this one, contain incredible properties for healing
or are necessary for some of the most magnificent wonders when combined with
something else. Humans have a great capacity for declaring something good or
evil, without truly knowing.”
- Wm. Paul Young, The Shack
Poisonous Plants
Wild Mushrooms.
“Advice is like mushrooms. The wrong
kind can prove fatal.”
- Charles E. McKenzie
There are many types of wild mushrooms, including some that are lethal when
ingested by humans. To most people the identification of wild mushrooms
can be tricky. Even experienced mushroom pickers have been fatally
fooled. To play it safe, don’t ever eat any wild mushrooms! Be
certain that any mushrooms you put in your mouth came from a store.
Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, and Poison Sumac
“A poisonous seed will only kill you
if you chew it and swallow.”
- Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The
Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
These plants can give humans skin poisoning by oils on the plant’s
leaves. If you come in contact with these toxic plants, wash off the
affected area with soap and water. Afterwards, treat with alcohol and
then apply lotion to stop the itching.
Treating the bite of poisonous Snakes and Insects
“Cultivate a habit of caution.”
- Safety saying, circa early 1900s
If a poisonous animal has bitten someone, the first thing to do is to get the
victim to lie down and relax. Don’t waste time killing the animal, but
find out what species it is so that doctors can give the victim the right
anti-venom. Next, tie a cord about three inches above the bite to slow
down the spread of poison. Make sure the band is not so tight as to
prevent some blood from flowing into the bite area. Then, get the victim
to a medical center for treatment as soon as possible.
Do not waste time on an acrimonious blame game for the event
happing. No amount of scathing and sardonic
finger pointing can reverse an accident after it has happened. The best thing to do is avoid be bitten in
the first place. Stay on well-used
trails, while avoiding being in areas that snakes often hid in such as tall
grass and underbrush, rocky areas and fallen logs, along with marshes, swamps, and
any holes in the ground.
Nearly all bites are on the feet,
ankles, and hands. Thus, wear sturdy hiking
boots, tennis shoes, with thick socks.
Snake bit reports show that boots that cover the ankles offer the most
protection. Do not wear sandals and open-toed
shoes, or walking barefoot. Be sure to
wear long and loose-fitting pants to protect your legs. Do not attempt to touch any unknown
snakes. Moreover, do not put your hands
and feet in any dark holes, unexplored spaces, or under objects without first
being sure a snake isn’t hiding underneath.
“Don't do anything that you wouldn't
feel comfortable reading about in the newspaper the next day.”
- Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7
Steps to Living at Your Full Potential
Dangerous weather
Do take precautions for dangerous
weather. Besides lightning strikes and flash
floods, high winds will blow around hard objects that inflict dangerous or
deadly impact injuries. During dangerous weather such as
thunderstorms, windstorms, and hailstorms you must seek protection within a
solid walled structure. The walls of a canvas
tent, the branches of a low-hanging evergreen tree, and/or your homemade Society
for Creative Anachronism (SCA) body armor will not keep you safe from storm
driven flying projectiles. Keep all of your
exaggerated masculinity such as “Real men never
turn back” confined
to your daydreams, superhero comics, and action movies.
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