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Whether you're lounging at home, knee-deep in work, or simply grabbing a coffee on the go, life has a way of throwing surprises at you. And in those split-second moments of chaos, knowing what to do can be the difference between freezing up and stepping in with confidence. That’s where a few solid, life-saving nuggets come in handy. Because let’s face it, being prepared feels a lot better than being caught off guard.
That’s exactly why we’ve rounded up some helpful nuggets that are not only practical but also surprisingly easy to remember. They come from a viral video shared by Ashley Washington, a photographer and professor who’s built a following of over 168k on TikTok. In her two-part series, she shares straightforward tips and little-known facts that just might save a life.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
If you are somewhere where pepper spray is not legal, you can carry RAID. RAID shoots further than pepper spray and can blind people, and it's totally legal in most circumstances.
Stephanie Did It 8 months ago
Wasp spray is best. It will shoot a concentrated stream 10 feet or more, and you can aim it at an attacker's eyes. I keep a can next to my bed. It's also easy to tuck into your car.
Tyke 8 months ago
Do this in the UK and it's illegal. Yet again, this should be titled "44 Surprising Facts That Are Actually Lifesavers You Probably Never Thought You Needed IN AMERICA".
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Now I only need to find a handbag big enough for fitting a raid spray can in...
Kat Alison 8 months ago
Also hairspray. Take it from a contact lens wearer….hairspray in the eyes HURTS!
RELATED:
#2
Always attempt to call 911 even if you were somewhere with no service, very low battery life. When you call 911, it will bounce your signal off of any available tower, including emergency and military towers. Always attempt to call 911 if you need it.
Mjskywalk 8 months ago
And if you are lost in the wilderness and your phone rings, answer it! Even if you don’t recognize the number. It could be rescue crews trying to find you.
Regina Holt 8 months ago
That guy was an idiot. Of course they could have tried calling from a friend's phone so he would recognize the mumber.
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Anonymouse 8 months ago
If you are lost, and you can change your message, callers can get it even if you cannot answer your phone.
DowntownStevieB 8 months ago
I know with Apple, if you say "Help, I'm..." it will call too. No need to say "Hey, Siri"
#3
If you need to do CPR on someone and you are untrained on how to do CPR, it is best that you only do chest compressions. If you attempt to deliver rescue breaths, you can cause someone to vomit, to aspirate on that vomit. Um, and it can lead to a worse situation if you are not properly trained in how to do this in CPR, or if you're not in some sort of medical situation, like an actual medical facility. Otherwise, chest compressions are just fine, and you can do chest compressions to stay alive, or you can Do them to Pink Pony Club. So that's another CPR song you can use.
UKDeek 8 months ago
Can't upvote this one enough! Studies showed that people didn't want to perform CPR because either they thought they would hurt the victim, or that they didn't want to perform the mouth-to-mouth part. This led to the Resuscitation Council UK producing guidance about hands only CPR, and the British Heart Foundation producing a series of films promoting hands only CPR (including ex-footballer Vinnie Jones) to get over the stigmatism. Research has now shown that hands only CPR is almost as effective as CPR with rescue breaths.
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago
If you're not breaking ribs, you're not doing it right!
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the sixthgirl 8 months ago (edited)
OMG the hand placement in this pic is completely WRONG. If you have to do CPR, this is not where you place your hands. Modesty is out the window during an emergency.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
A bunch of my coworkers and I went through CPR training. The teacher said "if you're not cracking the person's ribs, you aren't pushing hard enough." Not entirely certain if he was serious or joking.
Crystal M 8 months ago
I teach CPR, that is the truth. A few fractured ribs is alot better than death.
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DowntownStevieB 8 months ago
Also, just because someone passed out DOES NOT MEAN they need CPR. If they are breathing, it's not needed. Also, do not do the Heimlich is the person is also breathing (or use your finger to move whatever it is out of the throat). Coughing? That's a good sign.
john doe 8 months ago
If you don't know how to do CPR maybe don't do it?? It won't do any good if your not giving deep enough compressions anyway, and I mean you are cracking ribs and sternal cartilage if you are doing it right. Also rescue breaths are only not recommended anymore because of the potential for disease transmission, you can keep a rescue breaths pocket mask in a fist air kit, then it's totally fine. if your loved one needs CPR for the love of God do the rescue breaths every 20 compressions.
Sam Trudeau 8 months ago
What I hear is that they now have a machine to do the mouth-to-mouth for paramedics, due to the risks of substances inhaled by the person.
Louise Clarke 8 months ago (edited)
Rammstein's Du Hast is another song you can do cor compressions to.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to basic survival tips. We often scroll past this kind of advice, thinking it’ll never apply to us. But when the moment strikes, knowing what to do can make all the difference.
Whether you’re helping a friend or a stranger, those first few minutes really count. A little knowledge can save lives or at least buy enough time until help arrives. And no, you don’t have to be a doctor to be helpful.
#4
If you are bitten by a snake, do not attempt to suck the venom out. That is not how that works. It won't work. Don't do that. Try to put wherever you were bitten lower than your heart and get to an emergency room as soon as possible.
Alfredo the turtle 8 months ago (edited)
And if you have the supplies for it and the bite is on a limb, place a tourniquet 4 inches above the wound. Do not remove the tourniquet. Only a doctor should because blood turns toxic when it's not circulating. DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY this can and will cause necrosis and loss of limb. However in a survival situation with a SPECIFICALLY VENOMOUS snake that could end you. This is an alternative to death
Bookworm 8 months ago
This is completely wrong. There's evidence a tourniquet is more harmful than beneficial for snake bites. Among other things it can trap the venom, potentially causing more damage and cause tissue damage.
Load More Replies... Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago
What if you're bitten right in the heart area? You're screwed?
#5
Don't try to ration your food or water. Eat when you're hungry, drink when you need water. If you try to ration it out, you will do more harm than good in the long run. And if you're in the desert, do not drink cactus water. I know that this is a misconception and that people do this in cartoons and all such as that. Do not drink cactus water. It will make you sick and it is not worth trying to drink. Same thing, don't drink seawater because it has all that salt in it and it will make you sick and it'll dehydrate you faster than it'll hydrate you.
#6
People have always said, what do I do if I encounter a bear? First thing is, try not to encounter a bear in the first place. You know, don't leave food, water, toothpaste, deodorant, anything like that out at the campsite. Don't leave it in your tent with you. Yes, even water, toothpaste. They can still smell it. They will still try and come get it. Do not leave any of that anywhere near you if you are in bear country. If you do happen to encounter a bear, it's … if it's brown, lay down. So if a brown bear tries to attack you, try to cover all of your vital organs. Cover your neck, cover your head, lay down and play dead. If it is black, fight back. If you are attacked by a black bear, the best thing that you can do is fight back. You're likely not gonna survive either encounter. But that's the best thing to do if you cannot distance yourself from the bear or try to get away. If you try to get away, back up facing them. Try to make yourself big, make sounds, but don't turn around and run from them.
Beak Hookage 8 months ago
Then relax in your new home: the bear's stomach.
Load More Replies... Paul Sloan 8 months ago
The worst bear fact; They don’t wait until you're dead before starting to eat.
Lori Adamson 8 months ago
As a child, in Yosemite camping, we scared bears away hitting pots and pans with wooden spoons. Bear couldn’t see us in the tent, but we scared it off. In the morning, coolers were found ripped apart and car doors were ripped open. Couldn’t tell you what color the bear was.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 8 months ago
Don't sneak around in the wilderness! Make noise so the bears know you're coming closer. Personally, I wouldn't lie down, to be honest. No matter the color, I'd never just lay down to be eaten... I'd go with the "yell at them and back off"-strategy and hope I die quickly once he's gotten mad. Maybe I'll just stick to countries with no (big) bears. Australia is pretty nice and bearless...
Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 8 months ago
Legs can cover stomach area in the foetal position
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To better understand how to handle everyday emergencies, we spoke with Dr. Alka Pradhan. She’s a general physician with over 30 years of experience running a clinic in Mumbai. Over the years, she’s seen it all, from fainting episodes to accidental burns. Her advice is practical, straightforward, and could help anyone in a tight situation. “Basic awareness goes a long way,” she said. “Especially when everyone else is panicking.”
“If someone faints, the first thing to check is breathing and pulse,” she explained. If there’s no breathing, start CPR immediately if you’ve been trained. These days, basic CPR and first aid classes are easily available. “It’s something I recommend for everyone, students, office workers, anyone.” You don’t need fancy equipment to be useful in a crisis. Just confidence and a bit of know-how.
#7
There's a phenomenon in psychology called the bystander effect, which says that if you are in an emergency situation, the more people that are around you, the less likely you are to get help because of a diffusion of responsibility. Everybody thinks someone else is more qualified than me to help. Someone else will help. And people have died this way with hundreds of people around them or dozens of people around them because of this diffusion of responsibility. If you are in an emergency, you have to yell instructions. Call 911, I need help. You point somebody out. You, I need you to help me.
LilLostHere 8 months ago
Yes, you don't want to just yell it out. Specify the person. Otherwise the 911 log will get full, and you're less likely to get help. Tell a specific person to do it.
chris Cannon 8 months ago
The 911 log will get full? I call BS on this comment. 911 is an operator, not a voicemail. There's no log getting full.
Load More Replies... Alexia 8 months ago
I have experienced this as a teenager, when I was attacked by a man on the street. It happened on a crowded boulevard, and it was around noon. Nobody stepped in, although I was screaming and fighting. Later I learned to specifically identify people while asking for help: "the lady in green", "the man with the blue shirt" etc.
Tonyah Mcanelly 8 months ago
I never can understand this thinking . When some one looks distressed and it appears to me that no one is helping I immediatly ask if they are ok. maybe thats the way I was raised.
#8
If you ever feel like something is out of the ordinary, or you have a weird feeling about something, trust that feeling. Your body has some sort of a sixth sense. Your brain can't take in and acknowledge every piece of information it gets all the time because it would be so overwhelmed that we couldn't function. However, although you may not be interpreting all of these things, your brain is still picking up on all of these things even if you're not consciously aware of them. So if you feel uneasy about a situation, or maybe you feel like somebody's following you, trust your gut. Always. Don't care about being mean or being rude. Always trust your gut because your brain is telling you something is wrong. If you feel like somebody is following you, you can take four left or four right turns. That will put you in a circle. If they are following you, they will go that circle with you. If they are following you, immediately take yourself to the police station or a fire station, somewhere where you would be safe. Don't ever go home or go to your workplace.
Billo66 8 months ago
That's just how I normally feel. Always an impending sense of doom. I hate it.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
Same. I disregard all warnings because it's "just me."
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#9
Wear your own seatbelt. I don't know who's not wearing their seat belts these days, but wear your own seat belt please.
Scott Rackley 8 months ago
Usually do that when the car is parked. Or used to.
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Alley Cat 8 months ago
Everyone always talks about wearing your seatbelt, and yet schoolbuses, crammed with 30+ kids, don't have seatbelts.
thewallsarewatching 8 months ago
That's because of the way bus seats are designed. The seats are tall, close together, and padded so they create a compartment effect that distributes the forces in the case of a crash. So while, yes, seatbelts wouldn't hurt, they wouldn't necessarily help that much.
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thewallsarewatching 8 months ago
I refuse to stay in a car with someone who is not wearing their seatbelt. In the case of a crash, even at low speeds, a person not wearing their seatbelt becomes a missile inside the car and can cause a tremendous amount of damage in an accident that would otherwise be non-lethal. Someone else not wearing a seatbelt in the same car as you risks your life just as much as theirs.
CatD 8 months ago
If I'm driving, the car doesn't start unless everyone is buckled up.
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Let’s talk about nosebleeds—something most of us get wrong. “Do not tilt the head back,” Dr. Pradhan said firmly. “Instead, lean slightly forward and pinch the soft part of the nose.”
This stops blood from flowing into the throat, which can cause choking. It’s one of those small actions that’s surprisingly effective. And no, tissues stuffed up the nose won’t help here. Keep the pressure steady for 10 minutes.
#10
If you are stranded in the woods or on the mountains for any reason, do not leave where you are. Some people will say to follow water, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But if people are coming to look for you, you can get yourself lost by wandering and you make it much harder for rescuers to find you if you're wandering around or leaving where you were. They're going to look for you in the last place that they knew you were.
Undercover 8 months ago
Keep a small emergency kit in your backpack - big water bottle, a lighter, some tampons as firestarters, emergency blanket and some sweets / dextrose, a pocket knife. Thirst and hypothermia will k**l you the fastest, keep that in mind.
Tonyah Mcanelly 8 months ago
When we go hiking and back packing i keep therma care heat packs and 4 handwarmers if I get stranded in the cold the therm acare heat packs are a great way to keep from getting hypothermia They stay warm for 8 hours and put hand warmers in your shoes and gloves to help keep your feet warm.
#11
If your car is underwater for any reason, the best thing you can do is swim to the very back of your car where that back window is. Cause your car will sink this way. That's where the last bit of air will be. And you can take your headrest out and stick it in between the glass and the door to try to break through the glass and get out that way. Or if you have the time and ability to think about it, like if you're going off a bridge and you have a bit of a drop, try to roll your windows down so that you're able to break out of them once you're in the water.
Bookworm 8 months ago
Not all headrests will do this anymore so get something designed to break glass just in case. They're usually inexpensive.
Marie Clear 8 months ago
You should be able to break a window with the buckle of your seatbelt. I've seen it done, but it often takes a couple of hits. Once it's filled with water, though, you probably won't have enough force to do it, so do it quickly.
Andrew Bridge 8 months ago
Open the door and get the f**k out. Stop with all this messing about
thewallsarewatching 8 months ago
Once the car is fully underwater, the windows cannot be rolled down and the doors cannot be opened until the car interior is filled with water and the pressure inside has equalised with the pressure outside. The best thing to do if you don't have anything to break the windows is try to stay calm and breathe steadily until the car has filled, then open the door.
Load More Replies... #12
If you were ever in a situation where you are swerving or you've lost control of your vehicle, do not try to over correct the opposite direction you're going. Always turn your steering wheel the way that you are going and let up off the brakes. This can help you survive an incident that you may not otherwise survive, especially if your airbags are gone off and you can't see where you're going. I actually learned this in a defensive driving course that I had to take as a result of an accident that I was in. Um, and it was given by somebody whose child lost their life due to something like this. So it was a really educational course. Don't be afraid to slam on your brakes if you have to. And if you're ever drifting for any reason, turn your wheel the way that you are going.
Papa 8 months ago
Also, if you ever accidentally run off the edge of the road, the worst thing you can do is panic and jerk the steering wheel back in the direction of the road. That can easily cause your vehicle to roll. Instead just stay there and slow down until it's safe to pull back on the road.
Donna Peluda 8 months ago (edited)
I don't know why these think are not taught in the first place. We are taught what all the weird signs are and parallel park but we are not taught to control a car. Also knowing this is not enough, you have to practice in a controlled safe environment so you learn to feel what your car is doing. No traction contro,l no stability control or ABS. So many lives would be saved.
My O My 8 months ago
And if you are about to crash, take your hands off the steering wheel and your feet off the pedals
chris Cannon 8 months ago
Never take your hands off the steering wheel. What's the rationale for this comment?
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When it comes to strokes, Dr. Pradhan says the acronym FAST can be a lifesaver. That stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call for help. “A stroke doesn’t always look like the dramatic movie scenes,” she warned.
Sometimes the symptoms are subtle, but the damage can be huge. Every second really does count, so call emergency services right away. The faster the response, the better the recovery.
#13
If you were impaled by anything, you or someone else, do not remove the thing that has impaled you. It is preventing you from bleeding out. Do not remove it. Keep it in there or keep the wound packed until you can get to medical help. If you take it out, you will likely bleed out. Do not take out anything that has impaled you.
winterwidow87 8 months ago
It makes me so mad when someone has been impaled in a movie and the first thing they do is pulling the thing out. Do you want to bleed out? This is how you bleed out.
Beak Hookage 8 months ago (edited)
Wait, I'm confused. Do I take out this sword that's impaling me or not? You're just not rubbing the message in hard enough.
Goony 8 months ago
In your case, yes pull out that sword while twisting it. For other people, removing the sword will k**l you. If it hasn't cut something essential on the way in, it will do when you pull it out.
Load More Replies... #14
And if you're ever trapped underwater, if you blow a bubble, it will tell you which way is up. A lot of times when you're underwater, you're very disoriented and it's hard to tell which way is up. Always follow the bubbles up.
#15
If you are for some reason involved in a school shooting or a shooting of any kind, don't immediately run where others are running. Take note of where the sound of the bullets are coming from. Especially if you're in a long hallway, this sound can travel in ways that's contradictory to where the shooter actually is. So try to take a second or two, if you have it, to get your bearings and actually determine where that sound is coming from. And make sure that you're not being led astray by it ricocheting off the walls. And in an active shooter situation, the best thing you can do is run, hide, or fight, in that order. If you have to fight, fight for your life. Anything is game. A lot of people get in situations where they're assaulted or they're in danger, and they think, you know, I don't you know, you subconsciously don't wanna hurt people. You don't wanna k**l somebody. If it is a life or death situation, there are no rules. You have to remind yourself there are no rules. Try to save your own life.
UKDeek 8 months ago
Run, Hide, Tell in the UK. If it is an active shooter, then unless you are armed and know how to use that firearm, then it probably isn't a wise idea to fight. Ideally, you want cover from fire (thick brick walls, etc.), but if this is not possible, then cover from site should be sought.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
Bookshelves. We had the cops come out to do an active training for library staff and he said--trying to make us feel better--books are really hard to shoot through. Oddly enough, that wasn't very comforting.
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Sam Trudeau 8 months ago
In our local schools, we do drills on this, it's "hide in a classroom, nearest is best" and if in the bathrooms, hide in a stall with your feet off the ground. Never had a school shooting, luckily. 🇨🇦
Bookworm 8 months ago (edited)
I'm very glad the one time I had to deal with an active shooter I was able to just leave/run. Didn't even realize it was an active shooter situation until later that night when my sup called to make sure I was ok and informed me of what happened. I just thought I heard a car backfire, but had an extremely strong sense of "get the fu¢k out of here" so I jumped in my car and left. It wasn't until I was almost home that it occurred to me it might have been gunshots instead. I was so hyper focused on getting home I'd stopped processing it. Shortly after I got the call from my sup.
Pandaodboredem22 8 months ago
Hiding creates sitting ducks, as history has shown. Get a group to attack the assailant- wait at the door, throw whatever is there at them, and charge and overwhelm and end it.
If someone’s having a seizure, your first instinct might be to hold them down. Don’t. “Let the seizure pass naturally while keeping them safe from injury,” she advised.
Turn them gently onto their side and cushion their head. Don’t put anything in their mouth, it won’t help and could cause harm. Stay calm, and if the seizure lasts over five minutes, call for help. Most importantly, stay with them until it’s over.
#16
If you are involved in a house fire, one of the best things you can do is keep your doors shut. You can look up images of people who have been in fires and had their doors open versus their door shut. Having your door shut can save your life. The other thing people die from in house fires is smoke inhalation, and it will make you unconscious, get low to the ground, crawl out, get yourself out before helping others. And the best thing you can do is keep your door shut and have a plan of escape.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 8 months ago
Ronald Mcdonald used to teach us to ''Get down low and go go go,'' and ''If the door's hot -OUCH!- there's a fire on the other side, don't open it!''
Lyone Fein 8 months ago
Keep the door shut if you are in a room that is not on fire. This will keep the fire out of the room for longer. Then you should try to escape through a window.
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#17
If you are cleaning, don't mix bleach with anything. You can create chlorine gas or other very harmful things that could kill you or knock you unconscious. Do not mix bleach with anything other than water.
chris Cannon 8 months ago
As long as you don't mix it with ammonia, you won't get chlorine gas.
Pandaodboredem22 8 months ago
Bleach is fine to mix with pine oil- preferred mop bucket solution in boot camp
Tonyah Mcanelly 8 months ago
My Ex mother in law did this with bleach and ammonia. ( I thought every one knew this was a big no no ) It got to the point where the EPA had to come out and inspect her house and they were displaced for 3 weeks . Then got a huge fine from the EPA.
#18
When you are driving, I know it feels great. Don't put your feet up on the dash. Don't put your feet up on the dash because your airbag deploys at around 200 miles an hour and it will easily break your legs and your pelvis.
Serena Myers 8 months ago
Is it possible to drive and put your feet up on the dash at the same time?
Anonymous Fox 8 months ago
If you're in an automatic, you could put your left foot on the dash? Seems uncomfortable though.
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Brian Droste 8 months ago
I tried this once and it was very uncomfortable. I don't see how people can put there feet unlike that and be comfortable.
Burns are another common emergency, especially in the kitchen. “Run cool, not cold water over the burn for at least 10 minutes,” she said. Avoid ice, which can damage the skin further. Don’t pop blisters or apply random home remedies like toothpaste. “Just clean, cool water and gentle care,” she added. If it looks serious, head to a clinic or hospital.
#19
Always lock your doors as soon as you get home. Or if you are not home, immediately lock your door when you come in. Don't wander around. Make that the first thing that you do. Come in your house. Don't stand around and do things. When you're first moving into an apartment or a new home, change all of the locks. Make sure that you have updated keys for the new locks. And then what you can also do is change the length of the screws that are holding your door plate in, which make it harder for someone to kick in your door.
Alley Cat 8 months ago
I live all the way out in the country, and we've never had anything serious happen, but there have been multiple times when people have shown up on the doorstep with a broken down car or some kind of injury and they need help. Every time after something like this happens my parents remind me how to work the security system in case someone dangerous showed up, and I'm hoping the day never comes where I'll have to use it.
The Majestic Opossum 6 months ago (edited)
We live in a safe neighborhood and always have people stop by (ran out of gas, door to door salesmen, etc.) if it's someone I don't know, I will first look out to see if anything looks suspicious, call through the door to see what they need, and then I will go out and close my front door behind me so they can't easily enter my house. If my kids are home alone they know to not answer it at all. If someone does need help, we have plenty of adult neighbors around who can answer the door!
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Perfectly Cromulent 8 months ago
Is it a common problem for people to change all the locks and throw away the new keys?
#20
When it comes to animals and cars, you should always have your dog or other animal that's in your car either buckled in or in a crash tested crate. The crates aren't always possible for everybody who has small trunks, but that is the best option you have. But otherwise your animal needs to be seat belted into the car. If you have a dog like mine who can undo the seat belt, they make clips specifically made for children with autism so that they cannot step on the seatbelt and unbuckle themselves. This will protect your animal or your dog from being a projectile during a car crash.
Hiram's Friend 8 months ago (edited)
With a seat belt harness. https://www.amazon.com/SlowTon-Dog-Seat-Belt-Harness
Load More Replies... Sam Trudeau 8 months ago
For those who don't know, I should specify that not all autistic children need these seatbelts
chris Cannon 8 months ago
Mine rolls the windows down if I don't lock them.
Load More Replies... #21
If you were looking at a tornado and it doesn't look like it's moving left or right, it's moving towards you. In this case, you need to be prepared.
Phantom Phoenix 8 months ago
I'd think if I'm looking at a tornado, I'd wanna relocate myself immediately to somewhere where the tornado isn't
BookFanatic 8 months ago
You'd never make it in the midwestern US states (common joke--American midwesterners will hear the tornado siren and go outside to see what's going on). Lol
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thewallsarewatching 8 months ago
Safer to assume it's coming towards you and take action accordingly than to just assume you're safe
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SirWriteALot 8 months ago
There's always light at the end of a tunnel. I just might be a train.
Poisoning might seem rare, but it’s more common than you think. “And TV shows have taught people the wrong things,” Dr. Pradhan noted. Never induce vomiting unless a medical expert tells you to.
“Don’t try to suck out p****n or give random antidotes.” Call your local p****n control or emergency services immediately. Treatment depends entirely on the substance involved. Guessing could make things worse.
#22
If you have a child who's in an emergency, tell them to yell something like a curse word, because they're much more likely to get help if they yell a curse word than just yelling help on the playground like all children do.
Goony 8 months ago
Is pedophile a curse word? Because, trust me, yelling that in a playground is certainly a headturner.
TheForrestGreene (he/they/it) 8 months ago (edited)
kidnapper is also a headturner, and its a word thats a bit easier for a child to pronounce
Load More Replies... SirWriteALot 8 months ago
I taught my kids never to yell "help" when they're playing. Especially not in a pool, like "hayelp there's a shark" or something. Because WHEN they yell for help they want people to listen.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 8 months ago
Sorry but baby/kid-shrieking noises go in one of my ears and out the other. I wouldn't take any notice at all no matter what it was yelling.
#23
If you're ever in a lightning storm and your skin tingles or your hair stands on end, it means a lightning strike is about to hit. You need to get low on the ground or move quickly. When it comes to gun safety, treat every gun like it is loaded. I cannot express this enough. Accidental gunfire kills a lot of people every year. Treat every gun like it is loaded. And don't touch other people's guns or weapons unless you have explicit permission and you know how to work them. Just be safe around guns.
thewallsarewatching 8 months ago
And never shoot anything unless you want to destroy it.
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OneHappyPuppy 8 months ago
The lightning one - if you have nowhere to quickly shelter (*never* under a tree!) crouch low, toes on ground and make your heels touch. It will create a shorter route for the lightning passing through your body in the case you actually get struck and will lessen damage to your body
chris Cannon 8 months ago
Don't get your gun safety information from this website. Take a gun safety course or have someone (smart) with experience teach you.
#24
Don't jump into water you can't see through. You never know what's under there. There could be rocks or glass. Anything, anything. People get injured all the time from jumping into water they cannot see through, stepping on broken glass, jumping onto a rock. Do not jump into water that you cannot see through.
Heart attacks can hit suddenly and leave you unsure what to do. “Call emergency services immediately,” she said. Try to keep the person calm, sitting upright, and alert. Don’t give them food or water unless advised. “Aspirin might help, but only if they’re not allergic and conscious.” Every second matters in these cases. Your calm response could help keep them stable until help arrives.
#25
If you think you or someone else you know is having a stroke, the acronym FAST can save your life. The first symptom is face drooping on one or both sides. The second is arms. Try to raise both arms. If you are unable to raise one or the other, you may be having a stroke. The next is S slurred speech, and then T is for time. You need to get to an emergency room as soon as possible.
UKDeek 8 months ago
Again, depends on the country. In the UK I would recommend calling 999, as the ambulance service have direct access to Hyper Acute Stroke Units. Not all hospitals have these, so you may be wasting time by going to a local hospital, as they will have to assess you and then look at getting a secondary transfer.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
And then there's my mother, who--upon FASTing herself--decided to take a shower and do her hair and put on make-up before she called 911. Sigh.
#26
And when it comes to being in vulnerable situations, don't get in your car and get on your phone or sit there forever. Get in your car and leave. Pick your head up. Don't be on your phone inside or outside of a store. Be aware of what's going on around you because people can easily take advantage of that.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
If you have to sit in your car doing something, lock your d**n doors and roll up your windows. My friend was writing out a check in the bank parking lot and a man stuck his head in her window and scared her half to death. He just wanted directions to a local store...but it could have been so much worse.
#27
Water will make a grease fire worse. Try to put a lid on the pot to get rid of the oxygen. Or find another way to get the oxygen from out of the fire. But water will only make the fire worse.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
Don't use flour; it'll explode. Baking soda. (Grandma learned the hard way as a newlywed)
Finally, Dr. Pradhan recommends carrying basic emergency info on you. It can be a card in your wallet or a note on your phone lock screen. “List your allergies, chronic conditions, and emergency contact.” In a crisis, responders don’t have time to dig for answers. “This little thing can speak for you when you can’t,” she added. It’s a simple habit with a potentially huge impact.
So, which of these posts did you find most useful? Have you ever faced an emergency where quick thinking helped? Let us know in the comments, and maybe send this post to someone you care about. Because the more people who know what to do, the better off we all are.
#28
If you are exposed to bats in any way, or if you are bitten by a wild animal, please go get rabies treatment. Even if you're around a bat and you don't think you've been bitten, you can get bitten by a bat and not feel it, and rabies is almost 100% lethal. And once you know you have rabies, the way you go out is you stop accepting water, food, and medical help. So it is extremely important if you are bitten by a wild animal, or if you have been around bats of any kind, to please go get checked out and go get rabies treatment just in case.
SirWriteALot 8 months ago
wth do you mean "around a bat"? Bats live everywhere, they're all around us. Stop freaking people out with this c**p. Yes, if bitten get the treatment. But if you have bats in your backyard be glad since they're awesome and they eat bugs and flies.
WestleyJackson 8 months ago
I think they meant more in the case of around d one in a non-normal way. I know someone who had a bat get into their house at night while they were asleep. When they woke up and discovered this, everyone went off to get rabies treatment for the exact reason that you may not know if you were bit. Better to endure some shots (even ones that are a but more painful than most) than to play roulette with it.
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Dogcat vet (retired) 8 months ago
If you see a sick or dead bat, its better to just put an empty trash can over it and call animal control. They can decide if its a job for a wildlife service and you and your pets will be safe. Please make sure all your pets have current Rabies shots (even inside cats have gotten rabies when a bat gets in the house and bites one and you aren't likely to know before the cat is contagious and neuro).
#29
Unfortunately, it is very easy to drug somebody in their drink. If you are at a bar or a club or anywhere where you are drinking in public, please cover your drink. They make things for this. Cover your drink, take it with you. Keep an eye on it the entire time. It is very easy to drug somebody without them knowing it. Don't give your drink to someone to hold. Either give it back to the bartender or take it with you. Do not leave it alone with anybody. And if you're in a bar, you can always ask For an angel shot. There's different versions of this that mean different things. But if you ask for an angel shot, typically bartenders know that that means you need some sort of help.
PunnyPanda 8 months ago
Or ask a bartender if "Angela" is working, gives us a reason to remove you from the situation... "oh, yes, shes in the kitchen tonight. Here, follow me!"
BookFanatic 8 months ago
This isn't directed at OP's specific comment here. In general I hate that it's the victim's responsibility to make sure the predators can't hurt them. How about "don't be an a*****e; leave other people alone" becoming a lifesaving tip?
Tonyah Mcanelly 8 months ago
I read somewhere where they make a nail polish that changes color if your drink has been tampered with . You just dip you finger in the drink if it has been tampered with the polish changes color I personally haven't seen it but if its true its absolute genius,
#30
If you need to, you can perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. You make a fist with your thumbs up and get it right underneath your rib cage. You can do this on yourself if you need to.
Charles McChristy 8 months ago
Why are all of these basically repeating the first sentence in the last sentence?
#31
People die from getting trampled to death very regularly, a lot of times at concerts or festivals. If you were at a concert or festival and you're being pushed around, please make sure you have your footing. And if you are thrown to the ground, try as soon as you can to get up or to cover important organs like your head, your face, your neck, your chest, because people really do get trampled on the ground.
#32
If you have to pack a wound for any major bleeding, it is generally advised not to try to pack head or chest wounds for the risk of doing extra damage. If you are in communities where there are drug users, or if you are a drug user of any kind, please keep with you fentanyl test strips and Narcan. You may not know when you'll need it, but it could save your life if you do. Please test everything that you put in your body and make sure that you are not ingesting something like fentanyl. A tiny minuscule amount of fentanyl can k**l you, and there's really no way to measure when it's produced, how potent it is, or how much is in your supply. So please, test everything that you get. It really could save your life.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
The best (if there is a "best" in this situation) thing about Narcan is it won't harm the person if you administer it to a non-overdosed victim. For example, a diabetic whose blood sugar is off.
#33
If you are ever pulled out by a rip current, which if you have been, you know it is very scary; if you're ever pulled out by a rip current, do not try to swim directly back to the shore. Try to swim perpendicular to the shore or, you know, in the same way that the shore is. That will get you further than if you're trying to swim directly back.
Charles McChristy 8 months ago
Parallel not perpendicular 🤦 Perpendicular would be trying to swiim directly to the shore.
Dogcat vet (retired) 8 months ago
You need to swim parallel until you are easily able to swim back to shore
#34
If you're ever in a falling elevator, bending your knees or trying to jump at the last second won't actually save you. If you lay flat on the ground and cover your head and face, that is your best chance for survival.
Richard Smith 8 months ago
If you find yourself in a free-falling elevator then someone is trying to k**l you. Not only the main drive system but several redundant safety mechanisms would all have to fail or be disabled.
#35
Something you should always keep with you aside from having smoke alarms or having carbon monoxide detectors, is a gas detector. If you have a gas leak, sometimes you may not know it. I can smell if there was a gas leak. We had one recently. I can smell a gas leak. But if you can't, it is very important to have gas detectors to make sure that you are not going to accidentally explode your house. Because something as simple as a light switch turning on while there's a gas leak can cause a major explosion.
Brian Droste 8 months ago
Usually there is a chemical the gas companies put in gas that smells like rotten eggs. If you smell that smell, more than likely you have a gas leak. Need to call professional to check it out.
#36
I know a lot of places open carry is legal and a lot of people concealed carry. But if you have a gun and it is made aware that you have a gun, you are more likely to be shot during an assault or an attack. If you do carry, please carry concealed. Do not open carry. You are much more likely to be targeted during an attack.
Donna Peluda 8 months ago
The fact that this a useful information is mind boggling to most people in Western countries.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
As someone who lives in a Western country who was not raised around guns...yes, I find this to be useful information.
Load More Replies... Smeghead Tribble Down Under 8 months ago (edited)
This is why America scares the daylights out of me. If you see someone with a god d a m n gun or freakin' A S S A U L T RIFLE slung over their shoulder, how in hell do you know if they are perfectly sane and have no intention of harming anyone, or if they're going to snap and start shooting? I cannot understand it >.<
CatD 8 months ago
Anyone who carries a rifle into a grocery store has a very small pénis.
Load More Replies... #37
If you are over the age of 45, it is advised that you do not shovel snow because you are at higher risk of a cardiovascular event and you can have a heart attack from doing excess work out in the cold. If you are driving and the gas gets stuck, the accelerator gets stuck, the best thing that you can do is put both feet on the brake, push as hard as you can, put your car into neutral, and if possible, try to pull the emergency brake and call 911 immediately.
Richard Smith 8 months ago
After shoveling snow, get in the car and floor it before slamming on the brakes. Got it!
BookFanatic 8 months ago
And then there's me, who goes outside and shovels snow 2 weeks after shoulder surgery out of sheer boredom. Got yelled at by the boyfriend, the best friend, the nurse, the doctor, AND the surgeon for that one. In my defense, I was well under the age of 45. Lol
#38
If you think you are having a heart attack, which, please look up the symptoms—the symptoms for heart attacks are very different from men to women. For men it is the standard, like chest tightness, feeling like something sitting on your chest, having trouble breathing, arm pain or numbness. For women it is similar symptoms to that. But one of the biggest symptoms for women is nausea. So please, if you have any doubts, get it checked out. But what you can do on your way to the hospital, if you have no other way to get there, you know where you're unable to call 911, is to cough really hard and to keep coughing from deep in your chest. This can help you if you have access to baby aspirin. Chewing baby aspirin can also help widen your blood vessels a little bit so that you can buy yourself some time.
UKDeek 8 months ago
The coughing thing has been proven to be a myth, and can cause more problems... https://www.resus.org.uk/about-us/news-and-events/resuscitation-council-uks-statement-cough-cpr - The other information is (almost) spot on. Aspirin doesn't widen the blood vessels though, it has an anti-platelet action, which stops the clot getting bigger. Ideally, you need to take 300mg of aspirin (sorry to my overseas Panda's, but I don't know the preparations for your countries...)
Ahnjunwan 8 months ago
You are absolutely correct. I would also like to add that sometimes it depends very much on the person no matter if male or female. Some people just have toothache, some people feel very anxious without pain some people feel like they have trapped wind. If something feels off, go to the ER, it is pretty easy to find out if it is a heart attack or just, well, toothache 😉
Load More Replies... Zaach 8 months ago
My heart attack was signaled by y entire body feeling terrible - nothing felt like a heart issue. I went home and laided down, did not feel better so I finally called 911. They got me to the hospital (on a Saturday) and I was lucky b/c there was a heart surgeon doing his rounds, checking on his patients. He told me I was about 1 hour away from death. If in doubt , call 911; being embarrassed is much better then being dead
Kenneth Barns 8 months ago
If "heart attack" means angina/myocardial infarction, then coughing is pointless. If "heart attack" means cardiac arrest, coughing might--anecdotally--have some benefit. All the other advice applies to angina/MI, not cardiac arrest.
CatD 8 months ago
Coughing is more for irregular heartbeat. It can help, I've done it.
Load More Replies... #39
Keep Narcan on you. Narcan is for o****d, um, overdose rescues. But you never know when you or somebody else could need it. You can't keep Narcan in your car cause it has to stay in a very medium temperature range. But please keep it with you. You can also Narcan a dog if you have to. There's very few situations in which that would need to be done. But you can Narcan a dog. You can Narcan people more than once. Um, but yeah, that can help you if you ever have an o****d overdose or if you run across somebody who does. Just keep in mind, people typically come out of being Narcan’d very alert, very aggressive, angry. Um, so just keep that in mind. Be safe
UKDeek 8 months ago
Naloxone, the generic name of Narcan, can save lives from opiate o******e. Obviously, depending on the country, it might not be easy to access. In the UK, naloxone is a Prescription Only Medicine, which means you cannot just buy it over the counter. However, due to the effectiveness in opiate o******e, certain outreach programmes will supply naloxone to people who have contact with others who may potentially o******e - https://naloxone.org.uk/
chris Cannon 8 months ago
No kidding. Learn how to write, you'll come across much smarter.
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Gunnar Strandt 8 months ago
Hey BP....try to censor even more words, like t.. w.... t..., s. n.... c.. r... a.. w... . Idiotic🤦♂️
#40
Alcohol, tobacco, and drug withdrawal can be fatal. If you have a serious issue with alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, please do not try to quit cold turkey without medical assistance. This can kill you in some cases.
Scott Chandler 8 months ago
Actually, alcohol withdrawal can k**l, as can benzodiazipine withdrawal. In the d**g treatment field, we say m**h can be miserable, o****d withdrawal feels like you're dying, but alcohol or benzo withdrawal not medically supervised can and will k**l you!
Sven Grammersdorf 8 months ago
Tobacco withdrawal is not fatal. Only alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can k**l you.
Ace 8 months ago (edited)
"In some cases". Yeah, cases where it's not tobacco or even alcohol addíction, cases where it's one of only a very few specific types of drüg. What's the point of generalising like this - if you actually know anything about it why not be a little more specific? No, instead let's just inaccurately repeat and grossly exaggerate something we once saw on TV.
Candice Robinson 8 months ago
Dying from alcohol withdrawal is real. Ask my husband & a friend of his who tried to do it themselves. Oh, wait. Can’t ask the friend.
Load More Replies... #41
With the winter storms approaching, if you are in a situation where you need heat in your house and you no longer have electricity, something you can do is put a terracotta pot on. Any kind of razor, four bricks will work. And put a candle or some other flame underneath it. This will radiate heat and try to keep your house warm. You can also keep your oven open, but for a lot of people you need electricity to do that. But the terracotta pot should be able to help.
Undercover 8 months ago
That's nonsense, because you would need dozends of candles for it to have an impact on room temperature. And open fire in a closed space, well...
Dave Baxter 8 months ago
Having tried this, putting 3, 4 or 5 tealights on a plate, using small stacks of coins, or pebbles, to raise the bottom & create a gap, is an effective (& cheap!) way to heat a small room. The heated pots do radiate heat better than just a candle, & give off heat even after the candles have burnt out.
Neea P 8 months ago
Actually, you can get a tiny bit of heat from one candle, or enought heat from a lot of candles (like 60 candles for 100 square feet). https://theprepared.com/blog/can-a-flower-pot-and-tealight-candle-create-enough-heat-to-save-you-in-a-cold-emergency/
Load More Replies... #42
The safest place to be on a plane in the event of a crash is in the very back, in the middle seat.
SirWriteALot 8 months ago
I think this has been proven a myth. It's true, the tail section is usually the only thing not completely demolished but that does not mean passengers will survive in those seats.
Papa 8 months ago
OP said in the very back is the safest. He or she did not say it is guaranteed safe.
Load More Replies... Richard Smith 8 months ago
Studies have found the easiest way to avoid an aircraft disaster is not to fly.
#43
Most of the time, anybody picked up by a hurricane or a tornado will survive. If you are very drunk, that's because you don't tend to tense up your body. And so when you're dropped by that tornado, you don't tend to break things as much. This is why drunk drivers survive car accidents more often than people who are not drunk. This is not me saying go get drunk if there's a hurricane or a tornado, but it does increase your chance of survival if you were to be picked up and thrown by that.
Lyone Fein 8 months ago
But it is better to seek appropriate shelter in an underground basement, and not get picked up by a tornado at all.
Robert Moser 8 months ago
So...go directly to the wine cellar and get plastered?
Load More Replies... #44
If you get a viral illness like norovirus, Lysol wipes will not help you. Hand sanitizer will not help you. This is a common misconception. You need medical grade wipes that you need to use gloves for or to wash your hands and arms thoroughly. Hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes will not cut it. You need medical grade wipes. So either get those or, I don't know, but if somebody gets it, you're gonna get it.
UKDeek 8 months ago
Disagree with this. The best way to clean hands is by using soap and water, even after wearing gloves. It is true alcohol hand sanitisers don't work again pathogens such as c.diff, but will work against other pathogens. However, the best way is still hand washing with soap and water.
BookFanatic 8 months ago
Looks like this one is mostly true. https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/health/video/norovirus-cleaning-products-dr-sanjay-gupta-on-call-digvid
Ace 6 months ago
Did you even bother to look at the 'news' article you linked to? There's even a rider included in it "In a previous version of this video we stated that Lysol Pro Disinfectant Spray did not work against norovirus. The Lysol product with the EPA registration number 777-99 is effective against this virus"
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Ahnjunwan 8 months ago
Many of those are common sense, some are complete nonsense and the rest makes me wonder where this person is living to be that paranoid
Ace 8 months ago
And nearly all of them are just being repeated by people who don't really understand the things they're talking about, with no or inaccurate context and details.
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BarbedWyrGirl 8 months ago
Quite a few of these are wrong or at very least poorly written. Please be aware of what you're reading in these posts and comments.
chris Cannon 8 months ago
In cases like this where so many of the alleged "facts" are misleading or wrong, who's writing these? Is it the author or do they just compile answers from other people? Either way it seems like the "author" did a poor job (if any) fact-checking.
Ahnjunwan 8 months ago
Many of those are common sense, some are complete nonsense and the rest makes me wonder where this person is living to be that paranoid
Ace 8 months ago
And nearly all of them are just being repeated by people who don't really understand the things they're talking about, with no or inaccurate context and details.
Load More Replies... BarbedWyrGirl 8 months ago
Quite a few of these are wrong or at very least poorly written. Please be aware of what you're reading in these posts and comments.
chris Cannon 8 months ago
In cases like this where so many of the alleged "facts" are misleading or wrong, who's writing these? Is it the author or do they just compile answers from other people? Either way it seems like the "author" did a poor job (if any) fact-checking.
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