There is no avoiding injury; it happens to the best of us at the worst of times.We must be prepared to identify the most common kinds of injuries so that we know how to safely treat them. An article on Prepper’s Survival Homestead covered the five basic medical conditions that you are bound to experience, witness, or treat.

Cuts and scrapes are perhaps the most common type of injury you will encounter. Any significant amount of physical activity tends to generate at least one of them. Most cuts and scrapes are small. You often do not notice them until someone points them out or if the slight burning sensation of the injury finally gets to your busy or distracted head. Since these injuries were small to begin with, you probably have no idea what caused them. This makes it difficult to treat them. The smallest of cuts and scrapes can develop infections that turn into serious illnesses. So try to remember what caused the wound in the first place so you know how to clean and disinfect it. (Related: Natural first-aid treatments of old can help you survive off-grid emergencies.)

Burns and sudden swelling

Burns are another common injury. You will often be handling very hot objects while cooking or eating.

The source of the burn will determine how to treat it. Many burns are caused by fires, heated objects, and other “dry” sources of heat. However, a good number are caused by “wet” sources like boiling water, heated oil, steam, or other hot liquids and vapors. Both dry and wet heat burns are considered thermal burns. Then there are the electrical burns, radiation burns such as sunburns, and chemical burns. Each type of burn requires a different medical approach.

The third common type of medical problem is swelling in the limbs. It often happens during sustained physical activity, such as trekking through the wilderness. There are numerous possible causes for swollen limbs. Your body might be unable to expel enough water. You might be exhausted from working out so hard. An insect might have bitten you – and to make matters worse, you might be allergic to it. Or you have an existing joint problem like arthritis or gout that chose this moment to trigger.

Again, figure out what the cause of the swelling is. Only then can you try treating it. After all, what works on exhausted muscles might not do anything for an attack of gout, and vice versa.

Insect bites and broken bones

Speaking of insect bites, they comprise a segment of their own. They go from nuisance to threat as you get further away from civilization.But even in the relative safety of your own home, you can get bitten by dangerous insects like poisonous spiders and scorpions.Prevention is better than a cure. Always have natural insect repellents to drive them off or non-synthetic insecticide to rid yourself of the problem.You must also identify what kind of insect bit you in order to figure out its threat. The poisonous ones are immediate threats, while disease carriers will take time to infect your body with their payload.

Last but definitely not least are broken bones. These are the most dangerous injuries. Handle a broken bone the wrong way, and the entire situation can quickly go south.If the patient experiences intense pain and difficulty in moving a part of his body, try to figure out if a fracture is involved. This will be difficult as hairline fractures are very hard to spot.

You can pick up more means of treating all kinds of injuries and illnesses at Survival.news.

Sources include:

PreppersSurvivalHomestead.com

CDC.gov ^[PDF]