First Aid

This subreddit can be a great resource in helping to unburden an already heavily burdened medical system. Users often come here to enquire whether or not their injuries require medical attention, and our userbase is normally very helpful in supporting and answering them. Please keep in mind though:

All medical related answers here are OPINIONS--some from laymen, some from flaired medical professionals. Either way, please use your own best judgement and seek treatment if you believe you need it.

Even if a comment is from a flaired medical professional, they are not able to diagnose and prescribe treatments over the internet. This is simply because they do not have all the information; no matter how detailed you post may be. Anyone who claims otherwise goes against Rule 6.

That said, many users post about their ailments and are informed that time and basic care is all that is needed. This is a fantastic resource for someone who might otherwise have shown up to Emergency just to be sent home. Please just be judicial in your acceptance of medical advice and if in doubt, seek qualified medical treatment.

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Additionally:

If anyone ever needs support or is feeling hopeless and like they have no other alternatives, the Suicide Prevention Hotline is available for free 24/7 at 800-273-8255 in the US. Just DM me for other countries' numbers if you reside elsewhere.

Further, If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 in the US. Again, DM me for international numbers. You are not alone. 

To create a safe mental health environment for our userbase, this subreddit will now begin removing self-harm and self-harm-like posts. These posts can act as a trigger for other users that may lead to their own self-harm. Accidentally triggering others to injure themselves directly contravenes what this subreddit is about and as such, we will no longer be allowing these types of posts.

Additionally, this subreddit and its users cannot offer the appropriate support for this type of injury. If you have come here looking for an opinion on a self-harm related injury, our stance on the matter will always be to urge you to seek a professional medical opinion as soon as possible.

We ask for our user's support in reporting these types of posts so they can be added to our mod queue so we can follow up with the appropriate support resources for that user.

Im in a hotel and accidentally got poked with a needle that was hidden inside the toilet paper tube holder. It poked me when I compressed the holder to reinstall the new roll. I immediately flushed out the wound with lots of alcohol and squeezed hard enough so I could bleed out. Can I still risk getting a disease? I notified the hotel clerk and he said he would notify the manager. Should I file a police report in case I get sick?

this is the best i could do because we don't currently have bandaids

1. gloves

2. Bleed-stop

3. Antibacterial+numbing stuff

4. i always have a cloth+something that could cut off circulation to slow bleeding

5. face mask

6. Kleenex

7. chap-stick

I touched the toaster trying to get a mini bagel out and it caused a very tiny second degree burn (a tiny blister) right on my thumb knuckle. I wrapped it in wet paper towel for 10 minutes and put a bandaid on. Anything else I should do besides keep the bandaids clean? What is the best ointment and at what point do I apply it? I don’t think it’s worth a doctors visit but also don’t want it to get infected. Would also love to know signs of infection.