Ailment

An ailment is a physical or mental disorder, usually prolonged and relatively mild.

There are many various ailments that can be addressed by a first aid provider, at the very least symptoms can generally be relieved until professional health care can be provided.

• Illness In an emergency situation you may encounter people suffering from a variety of illnesses from the common cold virus to serious diseases such as typhoid or cholera.

• Allergic Reactions may come from allergies (e.g. food allergy) or reaction to toxins such as bee stings.

• Blisters on the skin may be due to burns, sunburn, immersion foot, or simply from ill fitting shoes or boots.

• Diarrhea kills people in the Third World each day. Untreated it can bring anyone down.

• Gangrene is a very serious condition which is usually treated by surgery (amputation). Untreated it leads to death.

• Heart attack is a serious life-threatening condition that results from partial or complete stoppage of the heart.

• Hyperthermia is a heat related ailment caused by the body absorbing more heat than can be dissipated.

• Hypothermia is another cold ailment that causes uncontrollable shivering, confusion, fatigue, coma and death.

• Infection is due to a parasite (typically bacteria or a virus) entering a wound leading to inflammation, pain, fever and possibly death.

• Venomous bites from snakes, scorpion, insects, such as bees, wasps, centipede may be small or large but they involve not just puncture injuries but also the introduction of toxins into the body which produce secondary effects and may even lead to death.

See also

• First aid
• Injury
• Digestive shock