September, 2018

Burns are some of the most common household injuries, so it’s important to become familiar with basic burn first aid and recognize when to seek emergency treatment. The good news is that most burns are minor and can be treated at home, but severe burns pose serious risks and complications. Educate yourself now so you can act appropriately in the future.

An Introduction to Burns

Burns are categorized as being first, second, or third degree. Everything from scalding liquids and fires to excessive sun exposure can cause burns on the skin.

• First degree burns: affect the top layer of skin with redness, minor swelling and pain

• Second degree burns: damage extends beyond top layer of skin, causes skin to blister and become very sore

• Third degree burns: most severe burns that affect every layer of skin and turn skin a waxy, white color (more…)

Your nose is running, you can’t stop coughing, and you feel terrible. It’s fall, which means the flu and the common cold are both potential causes of your symptoms. How can you interpret your symptoms to determine the real cause of your misery? Use this guide to help!

Similar Symptoms, Different Virus

According to the CDC, the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms, but they are caused by different viruses. In general, colds are usually milder than the flu and rarely result in the serious health problems like pneumonia, bacterial infections, and hospitalizations like the flu can cause.

Track Symptoms

Though symptoms of influenza and the common cold sometimes overlap, track your symptoms and use the guide below to determine which illness you have.

Symptoms of influenza include:

• Abrupt onset of symptoms

• Fever with body aches and chills

• Fatigue and weakness

• Headache

• Chest discomfort

Meanwhile, symptoms of the common cold are more likely to include:

• Gradual onset of symptoms

• Sneezing

• Stuffy nose

• Sore throat

• Cough (more…)