Health, Hygiene, and First Aid Essentials
Introduction: Hygiene and Health
Hygiene equals health. Lesions can result from traumatic actions (tendinitis) or non-traumatic events (sunstroke). Common lesions include wounds, muscle injuries, and other issues like mushroom poisoning.
General Activity Guidelines
Always perform a proper warm-up and cool-down. Understand the activity and execute exercises correctly. Avoid contraindicated exercises that cause hyperflexion or hyperextension of joints. Be mindful of limitations, use quality clothing and protective gear when necessary, fully recover from injuries, maintain hygienic habits, and avoid artificial aids.
Clothing and Footwear
Clothing and footwear are essential. Let’s focus on footwear selection:
Footwear
Choose footwear appropriate for the activity. Consider support needs. If you have foot problems, buy shoes after activity when your feet are dilated. Use training shoes exclusively for exercise. Tie laces properly, wear socks that are fine and seamless.
Clothing
Cotton or fine wool are preferable.
Personal Hygiene
To avoid germs, shower daily, ideally 10 minutes after exercise to address sweating. Avoid rubbing the skin during showering to prevent dermatitis. After showering, thoroughly dry scars and hidden areas to prevent mycosis. If showering isn’t possible, change clothes after exercise. Wear sandals in public locker rooms and showers.
First Aid Introduction
First aid involves initial actions by experienced individuals to assist accident victims, facilitating subsequent work by practitioners.
General Lifesaving Principles
Remain calm and act quickly. Assess the situation and call for specialized help. Check for pulse, respiration, and consciousness. Control bleeding. Do not move the victim unnecessarily. Keep the victim warm, do not provide food or drink (especially alcohol), reassure the victim, and arrange transport to the hospital.
Classification of Lesions
Lesions are classified into five groups:
A) FEI Lesions (Cooling, Elevation, and Immobilization)
Blunt trauma affecting the musculoskeletal system.
Injuries:
- Sprains
- Ligament injuries
- Muscle tears
- Muscle fiber injuries
- Traumatic arthritis
- Muscle capsule injuries
First Aid:
Apply local cold, elevate the limb, and immobilize it.
B) RI Lesions (Reduction and Immobilization)
Serious blunt trauma affecting bones or joints.
Injuries:
- Fractures
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Loss of joint articulation
First Aid:
Immobilize and transport to the hospital.
C) Injuries
Traumatic injuries with skin or mucous membrane breakage due to direct impact.
First Aid:
Allow the wound to bleed briefly, clean the area, remove foreign objects, clean the wound thoroughly. If bleeding persists, apply pressure with gauze. Dry the area gently, apply an iodinated antiseptic (undiluted), and leave the wound open if it’s not bleeding and is protected from dirt.