Being trained to render first aid to someone in need can allow you to truly make a difference in people's lives during emergencies. While you might not use this training very often, you'll appreciate knowing exactly what to do when you encounter someone in need. Many people who require first aid are bleeding profusely. It may be several minutes until paramedics can arrive, and the victim could be in danger of losing too much blood. Your first aid training will give you the knowledge of how to stop or control the bleeding until the ambulance arrives. Here are some techniques that you'll learn during first aid training.
Elevate The Area
One of the first things that you'll learn to do is identify whether the bleeding is in a part of the person's body that you can elevate. This is easy with wounds to the limbs, and your training will teach you how to properly elevate the area to reduce the loss of blood. For example, if the case of a person with a leg wound, you can have them lie on their back with their leg resting on any nearby surface, whether it's a picnic table, a backpack, a garbage can, or something else that you can find.
Apply Pressure
Applying pressure is another effective way to control someone's bleeding and eventually help it to stop. This is a technique that you may have seen on TV, but you'll learn exactly how to perform it in your first aid classes. The process is simple — you put a steady amount of pressure onto the wound so that blood is no longer able to escape. There may be times when you have to render first aid in multiple ways. In such an instance, you can enlist the help of another person to apply pressure, given the simplicity of this task. They key is to keep the pressure in place until a paramedic takes over.
Make A Tourniquet
Another effective way to control a victim's bleeding is to create a tourniquet. This is something that you can do if you have a helper applying pressure to a serious wound. A tourniquet should go between the wound and the heart, and must be tight. You can use many simple things to create a tourniquet, including a belt, a strip of clothing, or other similar materials. This device can be instrumental in stopping the bleeding and potentially saving the victim's life. Look online to find first aid training in your area.
