First aid for holiday mishaps

Christmas celebrations this year will certainly be different from what we’ve gotten used to.

For your own and everyone’s health and safety, it would be best to hold off big family gatherings and huge holiday get-togethers however tempting these may be. This, however, does not mean passing on the Christmas cheer, too.

Even if we will just be staying at home and keeping our distance (physically) from our friends and family outside of our household, we shouldn’t stop ourselves from making our living spaces merry and bright for the season. There are 48 days until Christmas and—if you haven’t already—it’s time to take the tree and all your Christmas decors out, dust them off and put them up around your home. But take extra care and watch out for possible mishaps while doing so.

Dust and pollen allergies

There’s a certain excitement when we’re bringing the Christmas trimmings out of their storage boxes. What we’re not excited about is all the sneezing, the itchy nose and the red, watery eyes that come with it due to the dust that have accumulated while our decors were in storage. For those who have real, living Christmas trees and wreaths, watch out for the same allergic reactions due to pollen.

Keep your face masks on while getting your boxes of decor out and while sorting through them. Have an antihistamine ready to relieve sneezing, watery eyes and itching. Decongestants, meanwhile, ease or unclog a stuffy nose. Relieve dust and pollen allergy symptoms by cleaning your space with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

Splinters

Those pine cones and ornaments made of wood sure are pretty, but handle them with care in order to prevent splinters.

Most of the time, you can safely and easily remove a splinter by yourself by using a pair of tweezers or a small needle. In some cases, the injury takes a serious turn and becomes infected, therefore requiring medical assistance. Before removing a splinter, wash the affected area gently yet thoroughly with water and soap. This helps to prevent infection. Make sure to disinfect the tweezers or the needle with rubbing alcohol. After removing the splinter, wash the wound again with water and soap, dry it and cover with a bandage. If you notice any discoloration, swelling, excessive pain or pus formation on the affected area, see your doctor immediately.

Punctures

Having those trimmings out of your sight for 10 months might make you forget of staple wires or thumb tacks attached to it. Puncture wounds usually won’t bleed much but they can easily become infected, too.

Stop the bleeding on the wound. Use a clean bandage and gently apply pressure on the wound. When the bleeding has stopped, clean the affected area thoroughly with a small alcohol wipe. Apply an over-the-counter antibiotic cream to the wound and cover it with a bandage. Change the bandage when it becomes wet or dirty.

MACE App

If your dust or pollen allergy intensifies into a cough or a possible asthma attack, or if your wound from that tiny piece of splinter or puncture develops signs of infection such as redness, swelling, tenderness or pus, seek medical attention as soon as possible. You may easily contact or request for a consultation with a doctor through Medicard Philippines’ MACE App. Through the free mobile app, you may also request approval for labs and diagnostics, view your utilization or view the status of your reimbursement. MACE is available for download on Google Play Store or App Store.

Sources: Healthline.com, Webmd.com, Photos from Pexels, Wikipedia and Verywellhealth.com