SPRAINS AND STRAINS

Difference between sprain and strain--

SPRAIN  - It is an injury to ligament.Ligament is a thick fibrous tissue that connects bones together.The most common injured ligaments are in knee,ankle and wrist.

WHAT CAUSES SPRAIN- The ligaments can be injured by being too far stretched from its normal position.A common sprain is an injury we often call TWISTED ANKLE.This injury is commonly occurs in activities like running,jumping and playing.

-People fall from a step or an uneven surface and roll their foot inside or outside.This stretches the ligament and causes sprain.

STRAIN-  A strain is an injury to muscle or tendon.Muscles move your skeleton in different ways.Muscles are made to stretch but if stretched too far,it can lead to strain.

-A strain can be stretched or tear in muscle.

COMMON ACTIVITIES WHICH CAUSES SPRAIN AND STRAIN- 

- Sports activities like football,volleyball,gymnastics,and many others.

 -Injury occur in normal everyday activities like slip on ice,a fall on your wrist,or jamming your finger.

SYMPTOMS OF SPRAIN AND STRAIN-

 -Pain,swelling and bruising of the affected joint.

 -The symptoms will vary with the severity of the injury- The less serious injury will cause inly pain in the joint affected.

-The more serious injury will cause severe pain and inability to move that joint.
TREATMENT- The principle of treating a sprain or strain is ''RICE''. It reffers to REST,ICE,COMPRESSION AND ELEVATION. 

REST- The part which get injured should not be use much,specially avoid the movement which cause pain.It can aggravate the problem.So avoid moving the part.

-Rest can be attain by applying a splint to immobilise that part.
 ICE - For the first 72hrs post-injury,ice the part 20min at a time every 3-4 hrs.

-Icing the part is known as cryotherapy.Ice should not apply directly to the part.The correct method of applying ice is that- take a plastic vegetable bag and put the ice cubes in that.Then aplly that bag on the injured part.
-Do not just place the ice on injured part.Massage the part with the ice in that way in which it covers all the painfull area.
-Do not ice the part more then 20 min because it can damage the tissue.
COMPRESSION- Use compression when elevating the sprain or strain in early treatment.
-Use an ACE BANDAGE,wrap the area overlapping the elastic wrap by one half of the width of the wrap.

-The wrap should be snug,but not cutting of the circulation to the part.So if your fingers and toes becomes cold and blue,then re-wrap.
ELEVATION-  Try to place your injured part higher from your heart level when lying.It can be achieved by placing a pillow under foot or hand(wherever injury occur).

FIRST AID FOR FRACTURE.

About one lac people die on the road.Many of these lives can be saved if proper first aid is given.

One out of five people has a fracture at some point of time in his life,and the maximum of these occur during childhood.

At the site of accident,how a person can identify that there is fracture to that person who met with an accident.?

The pain of fracture is very severe,even the victim wont allow anybody to touch his injured part.but if there is sprain,its pain is less intensive then a pain of fracture.

Kinds of fracture--

                    1)simple fracture-It is just when the bone gets broken and there is no external wound.

            2)compound fracture-It is one in which the bone completely breaks and come out through the skin. 

Prevention- 

     1)Do not move the injured part.Give a pressure bandage to prevent the blood loss.

The steps to be followed while first aid-First of all call for the medical help.Always have an emergency number of ambulance with you in your mobile or dairy.
Till the ambulance come you should give first aid to patient in this way-

          1)Stabilise the injured part.It can be done by using handy material like a newspaper,magazine, or  piece of wood.

     2)Tie that wood or newspaper with any colth,so that no movement is possible in any direction.

     3)Apply 2 pieces,one on inner side of leg and another on the outer side of leg.

     4)The material used for stabilising the part should be large so that whole leg is immobilise.

     5)If in case no material is found to fix the leg ,you can also tie both legs together.

     For the upper part of body-

                     -if the fracture is present at the arm or forearm tie the injured part with the same method explained above.

                    -if the fracture is present at the hand,the other hand can be use for the support of injured hand untill the proper medical help come.

In case if there is a compound fracture-

        1)Stop the bleeding.It can take the life of the victim if the fracture is of a major bone.

        2)Bleeding can be stopped by cleaning it carefully and applying a clean dressing.

        3)Do not bandage tightly over the injured part.(tight bandage can be dangerous for the part)

        4)Do not bandage the part roughly.

        5)Wrong bandaging can lead to complications like swelling or necrosis

        6)Tie the bandage patiently so that whole the wound should cover properly.

YOUR ONE STEP CAN SAVE SOME PRECIOUS LIVES.FOLLOW THIS AND ASK OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.