First Aid & Emergency

Accidents happen — someone chokes, gets stung by an insect, faints, or is injured. Knowing when to call 112 — India's unified emergency number — is important.

Your body normally cools itself by sweating. In hot, humid weather — especially common in most of India from March to June, and year-round in coastal/southern states — sweating alone is not always enough, and body temperature can rise dangerously.

A poison is any substance that can harm the body when swallowed, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin. Any substance can be poisonous if taken in excess.

Wild animals usually avoid people, but may attack if they feel threatened, are sick, or are protecting their young or territory. Attacks by pets — dogs, cats — are more common.

Exercise is good for you, but you can injure yourself when playing sports or training. Most sports injuries come from accidents, poor technique, lack of conditioning, or inadequate gear.

Moulds are fungi that grow outdoors and indoors. They thrive in warm, damp, humid conditions — which describes large parts of India during and after the monsoon season, especially in coastal and high-humidity regions.

You cannot eliminate every safety risk in life, but you can reduce many of them. A few practical steps: Keep emergency numbers visible — 112 (unified emergency), plus your local hospital and your doctor Keep a first-aid kit at home and in your car Agree a family emergency plan — where to meet, who to call, what to do in a fire, flood, or earthquake (relevant in many parts of India) Install and maintain smoke alarms and, if you have gas geysers or a gas stove in a closed space, a carbon monoxide detector Store medicines and cleaning products out of children's reach Use ISI-marked helmets on two-wheelers; wear seatbelts in cars — front and rear Follow instructions carefully when using power tools, ladders, or electrical equipment Lock up any firearms safely, with ammunition stored separately Young children are especially at risk.

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Vehicle emissions, factory chemicals, construction dust, crop-burning smoke, pollen, and mould spores can all be suspended as particles.

Drowning happens when someone gets too much water in their lungs. It can happen in as little as an inch or two of water.

Direct contact with electricity can injure you in ways that may not be visible. External injuries are skin burns.

If you've had a splinter, sand in your eye, or a bead stuck in a child's ear, you've dealt with a "foreign body" — something stuck somewhere in your body that shouldn't be there. Foreign bodies can be inhaled, swallowed, or come from an injury to almost any part of the body.

Most head bumps are minor — the skull is hard and protects the brain. But some head injuries are serious: skull fracture, concussion, or traumatic brain injury (TBI).