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Top 5 Summer First Aid Myths

by Rod Brouhard
Summer is a time of fun and warm weather. Families frolicking on the beach and picnics in the park are common sights in summertime.

Nosebleeds and sunburns are also common sights. Do you know what to do for these and other summertime injuries?

Plenty of summer injuries have conventional home remedies that are, frankly, wrong. These are five common first aid myths that don't help you - some may even hurt you.

1) Scraping off a Bee Stinger

Digging your credit card out of your wallet just to scrape away a bee’s stinger means the stinger just gets more time to pump venom into you. Yank it out, the quicker the better!
More: How to Treat a Bee Sting

2) Tilting Your Head Back with a Nosebleed

Nosebleeds are more common in the summer heat and dry air. Mom tells you to lean back with a nosebleed to keep from dripping blood all over your soccer uniform. Truth is, leaning back just makes you swallow blood. Yuck!
More: How to Stop a Nosebleed

3) Peeing on a Jellyfish Sting

I still think this is a cruel joke. Urine will only work if it is acidic (has acid in it). Most people don’t have acidic urine. Vinegar works for real.
More: How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting

4) Putting Butter on a Burn

Only if the burn was your toast! Butter and oils trap heat and make your sunburn worse. Need something to sooth tender skin? Try aloe.
More: How to Treat a Sunburn

5) Sucking on a Snake Bite

Cutting into a snake bite and sucking out the venom only works in cowboy movies. It won’t help the victim and it’s a great way to get infection and venom into both victim and rescuer.
More: How to Treat a Snake Bite
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