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What is it? Anything in the nose that wouldn't normally be there. Plan of Action: Remove right away if the object is a magnet, battery or expands when wet. These objects can cause severe tissue damage in just hours. If it's stuck and you can't remove it...

What is it? An object stuck under the skin such as wood splinters, thorns, slivers of metal or glass, and gravel. Plan of Action: Wash your hands and clean the area well with soap and water. Use tweezers cleaned with rubbing alcohol to remove the o...

What is it? A broken bone. Symptoms: Intense pain Limited mobility or inability to move a limb or put weight on it Swelling, bruising, or bleeding A visibly out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint Numbness or tingling Broken ski...

What is it? When skin and underlying tissues freeze after being exposed to very cold temperatures. The areas most likely to be affected are the fingertips, toes, earlobes, cheeks, chin and tip of the nose. Signs/Symptoms: Cold skin with a prickly feeli...

What is it? An inflammation of your stomach and intestines. Symptoms: Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea Abdominal cramps Low-grade fever (sometimes) Depending on the cause of the inflammation, symptoms may last from one day to more than a ...

What is it? Any damage to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by injury. Plan of Action: To give first aid to a person who has head trauma, call 911 or your local emergency number.  While waiting for emergency medical help to arrive: Keep the person sti...

What is it? A painful sensation in any part of the head, ranging from sharp to dull, that may occur with other symptoms. Most headaches are minor, and you can treat them with a pain reliever. Some headaches, however, signal a dangerous or serious medical pro...

What is it? Painful, involuntary muscle spasms that usually occur during heavy exercise in hot environments. The spasms may be more intense and more prolonged than typical nighttime leg cramps. Muscles most often affected include those of your calves, arms, ...

What is it? The body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Symptoms: Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat Heavy sweating Faintness Dizziness Fatigue Weak, rapid puls...

What is it? The most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body can no longer control it's temperature when exposed to excessively high temperatures. Symptoms: Fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) or greater Changes in me...

What is it? A bite wound from a human. Human bites can be as dangerous as or even more dangerous than animal bites because of the types of bacteria and viruses contained in the human mouth. Human bites that break the skin can become infected. If someone cu...

What is it? Occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat and your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).  Hypothermia is often caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in a cold body of water. It can also be caused by ongoing ex...

What is it? A bite or sting from any insect. Most insect bites and stings are mild and can be treated at home. They might cause itching, swelling and stinging that go away in a day or two. Some bites or stings can transmit disease-causing bacteria, viruses o...

What is it? Nausea caused by motion. Symptoms: Fatigue Cold sweats Headache Irritability Pale skin Rapid breathing Dizziness Vomiting Nausea Plan of Action: Usually quiets down as soon as the motion stops. T...

What is it? Occur when the tender blood vessels in the nose break. Common nosebleed causes can include changes of season, dryness, scratching, some medicines, and injuries. People on blood thinners may have worse nosebleeds than do others. Most often noseb...

What is it? Injury or death due to swallowing, inhaling, touching or injecting various drugs, chemicals, venoms or gases.  Many substances — such as drugs and carbon monoxide — are poisonous only in higher concentrations or dosages. Certain types of cleane...

What is it? A wound made by a pointed object such as a nail. knife, or sharp tooth. Plan of Action: 1. Wash your hands. This helps prevent infection. 2. Stop the bleeding. Apply gentle pressure with a clean bandage or cloth. 3. Clean the wound. Rinse the ...

What is it? Blood pumping from a wound, bleeding that does not slow down with pressure, and/or bleeding that is quickly soaking through bandage after bandage. Plan of Action: Call 911 or your local emergency number if the wound is deep or you're not sure ho...

What is it? A critical condition brought on by the sudden drop in blood flow through the body.  Shock may result from trauma, heatstroke, blood loss, an allergic reaction, severe infection, poisoning, severe burns, or other causes. When a person is in shock,...

What is it? A bite from any snake. Most venomous snakes in North America have eyes like slits and are known as pit vipers. Their heads are triangular and they have fangs. One exception is the coral snake, which has a rounded head and round pupils. Nonvenomou...