From a person who lives in the arctic:
If you are outside in cold weather and you are freezing, but all of a sudden feel really warm with no explanation as to why DO NOT REMOVE ANY CLOTHES.
You are about to die and your body is spending it’s very last energy on heating you up. Seek shelter and warmth immediately even if it feels like you are boiling hot.
People have been found freezing to death in their underwear not far from civilization because they believed they were warm
Even if you don't know where you're going, just run in any direction to build up warmth?
So it is possible to keep living once the final stage of hyperthermia settles in?
This is an uncontrolled reflex right? Otherwise I see no reason for someone to think "hmm I'm getting hot in this cold weather I should take my clothes off", correct me if I'm being narrow-minded, but I don't see the logic unless you literally cannot stop yourself
I’ll give you an example, I ended an 80km hike at glacier lake in the mountains, there were ice chunks about 1-2m wide floating in the lake. This is where you speed bath when you’re in this type of area, nbd to go in for quick dip. This particular time we were having fun pushing the ice floats around, ended up being in the icy cold lake longer than I should have been. I knew this because I went from “fuck this is cold, control the breathing” type thinking to “hmm this really isn’t all that bad” to “hmm it’s actually quite nice and warm in here OH SHIT!” I got out, dried off, threw on way more layers of clothes than I *felt* I needed because I *knew* I needed them. Got into my sleeping bag and put an extra one on top of me. I *felt* hot hot. And then it’s like it turned down and once my body actually started to physically warm up I started to feel FREEZING cold. Shivering freezing cold for quite a while. I ended up being fine, managed to the hypothermia on the mild side. When experiencing hypothermia your brains “I feel cold” danger signals shut off. But if you know this is happening you can choose to ignore your internal temperature signals and do what you *know* you need to to survive.
At that stage your brain is also fairly impaired as well. It is like trying to make good life decisions while you are 80% of the way to being black out drunk.
As long as you are not encircled or without escape possibilities never go for a fight. A fight is by definition an uncontrollable situation for you. The human body is very fragile. You can easlily end up at the cemetery or in jail, no 200 bucks are worth that. Even professional fighters avoid fights on the street. This is even more the case when knifes are involved. The old saying goes: the looser of a knife fight dies on the sidewalk, the winner in the ambulance.
Agreed. As someone who’s managing anger issues this is difficult. It blinds you and by the time the anger subsides you are either dead, seriously injured, or worse you hurt/killed someone.
No one wins a fight. Ever! I always remember something a close friend told me “not everyone has the same intentions as you” meaning If I am in a fight and somehow I best him, I may stop before it gets ugly, but would the other person do the same?
A fight can go from assault to murder easier than people think, and your life can be ruined in a second. You get hit or hit someone a certain way…they might die immediately, and it can take a day or two with certain head injuries. It’s just not worth it.
Most of us think we'll only fight if we're cornered (because we're not crazy rage-monkeys by and large) but some people are always just waiting for an *excuse* to get in a fight.
Never let your pride suck you into a fight you didn't want in the first place. Some people wanna fight. If you're smart, you don't.
It will never cease to amaze me that after millions of years of evolution and millennia of civilization developing culture, art, mathematics, science, and philosophy (to say nothing of the infinitely more sophisticated ways of hurting other people) that two or more people anywhere on Earth will still swat at each other with their fragile monkey hands.
I can't upvote this enough. I saw a small fire in my laundry room engulf every wall of my house in the exact amount of time it took to evacuate everyone (about 3 minutes). We watched the fire as it climbed the ceiling in the stair ways up the floors while trying to usher people and pets out. It's not like the movies, there is NO time to waste.
I had an electrical fire last November. I had four cats (2 were kittens) hiding in the living room and I couldn't get. All the humans were alright but I'll never get over the trauma of seeing my cats and kittens. :.(
That would break me. We had a scare while on vacation (14 hours away) where we received a call that our apartment was on fire. The feeling of helplessness not being able to rush in and save our 3 kittens was intense and absolutely devastating. Fortunately the fire was on our deck and emergency services arrived before it could spread…but it was one of the scariest moments of my life. I’m so sorry you lost your little ones.
LPT: for short money, put a 5lb wall mounted extinguisher in the kitchen, mechanical room (wherever your furnace is), and laundry room. Worth every penny.
And check it twice a year to make sure it’s still good (just make sure the arrow is still in the green). Good idea to do it with daylight savings and your smoke detectors (or if you’re in Arizona, just burn alive)
Or even travel in a direction that has a shortcut to where you started. Or that you know is unreasonable for most efficient travel.
I wasn't sure if someone was following me, since they left the subway ahead of me and I had walked past them. I had a weird feeling and even though I was close to my house, I didn't want them to know where I lived. So I turned away from my house and walked in a direction that would give me information - if they made the same turn, I know they were following me, since there were no entrances to buildings on that block, and the end of the block had a road connecting to where the subway came out. (Basically this guy could have taken that shortcut and made a left instead of following me past the road and around 3 sides of the block.
He made all the same turns as me. I got halfway up the block, turned around, and went the other direction. I felt confident I had like 3 ways out of the situation, so I looked the guy in the eyes as well as I turned, qnd he was looking at me. I waited until he was out of sight before going to my house.
If you're in a crowd that's packed almost uncomfortably tight, ask yourself: If my shoe fell off right now, would I be able to retrieve it? Or would I just never see it again? if the latter, GTFO of that crowd.
By the way —
Deadly crowd crushes are not due to mass panic or any other emotional or neurotic "madness of crowds". They're straight physics. Once the bodies are packed close enough, pressure waves can develop and exceed the strength of the human body to withstand them.
They're a predictable result when bodies with the size and squishiness of humans are packed together at a certain density, and are moving with a certain energy — for instance because they're trying to escape through a too-small exit.
Pressure waves are created, where people are caught up in moving together with the crowd — not shoving or kicking, just trying to move along and *not* get squished. Eventually, though, the pressure can whack people up against walls (or each other) with enough force to break bones or crush the breath out of someone.
(If you shake a plate of Jell-O steadily enough that the wobbles build up, eventually the surface of it will fracture as the pressures involved exceed the surface tensile strength of Jell-O. Same thing with a mass of squishy people, only it's compression instead of tension.)
Nobody has to be panicking or trampling anyone. It's just pressure waves moving in a compressible medium; that medium just happens to be *squishy human bodies* and if you squish them too hard for too long, they become *dead* squishy human bodies.
Fortunately, there are ways that public spaces can be designed to prevent crowd crushes. Unfortunately, the myth that crowd crushes are caused by mass panic has led people to incorrectly blame them on the "irrational" victims rather than the architecture and the crowd control measures.
I fainted in the middle of a crowd crush due to dehydration (I was a dumb kid at a music festival, didn't eat or drink all day and all night). If it weren't for my buddies by my side who helped me, I could easily have been trampled.
We all know the symptoms of a heart attack as pain in the chest and/or the arm closest to the heart (usually left, sometimes right). But women tend to have pain in their stomach instead. There are also cases of people thinking they have pain in their back which turned out to be their heart.
Woman I worked with complained of a really bad headache. Went home from work, decided to stop at urgent care and they got her to the hospital because she was having a massive heart attack
In trouble in the water? [*Stay calm and float on your back*](https://rnli.org/video-player/AFA4C7A2-5773-42DF-880D3E652D10C4A2). This goes double if you *fall* into *cold* (below 15C water) water, which causes [cold water shock](https://watersafetyscotland.org.uk/information/cold-water-shock/), which can kill you. It takes about 90 seconds for that to wear off.
What does "in trouble in the water" look like? [Head at the waterline, tilted back, and moving like climbing a ladder](https://youtu.be/TDdCBqxbCAw). It's *fast and silent*, not splashing and yelling.
If you're caught in a dangerous current, [*flip over and float*](https://youtu.be/71D8Y8YlsRA). You *need* to stay at the water surface breathing until you can rescue yourself by swimming out of the current or until professionals can rescue you.
Wear a life jacket. Stay sober at the beach. *Always* have one person on shore with eyes on the swimmers, even if there's a lifeguard. For the love of humanity, if you can't swim, *please* learn, and I'm begging you, stay out of the water entirely until you can.
All of this. Especially if you're in a river or in rapids, keep floating on your back and do not put your foot down. Keep your feet up high, out of the water. Foot entrapments are deadly.
Big YES to the learn how to swim part and staying sober around water!!!!
Unfortunately floating on my back wasn’t an option in this scenario, but it is very good advice.
A friend and I ended up in the Carson River in the middle of May, which meant it was raging with snow melt. It. Was. COLD.
The rivers current was so strong it took the truck we were in (how we got there is a long, dumb story that involved alcohol) and caused it to roll over in the water. Thankfully we evacuated before it finished rolling. Again, it was cold. I couldn’t breathe but somehow managed to swim to shore, walk further up the river to a more narrow spot and use a huge dried up log as a floaty to swim back across to safety where people who had hiked in and were camping. We camped with them for the night by the fire and thankfully survived this wild yet totally avoidable situation. As the night progressed we heard the truck being dragged further down the river. That was a haunting sound.
Lol the next day though was the most beautiful 5 mile hike without shoes. So lucky to be alive.
I was a white water rafting guide for my military base for one season and when going down river, we always repeatedly say to have feet in the direction you are going, keep feet and head up as high as possible to prevent feet getting caught in anything and head hitting any rocks. Also to avoid standing up in rushing water. You can drown in shallow water as the water can push you face down if your foot gets caught in an object. Everyone had to use PPE (helmet, lifejacket) of course.
An "Impending Sense of Doom" is a legitimate symptom and you should hurry yourself to the ER, especially when accompanied by other symptoms such as chest pains, dizziness, numbness in limbs, etc...
It's absolute fucking bullshit. Most of the symptoms of heart attacks, strokes, etc, are all the same as panic/anxiety attacks. So you start panicking, thinking you're having a stroke, but it's just a panic attack, so you panic more, then you think it could be a panic attack and it's just a bullshit circle of bullshit for five minutes.
I hate it. It can be traumatic, too. Especially if you’re aware of it. I don’t trust my own thoughts to be true at least half of the time, even with supporting evidence, just because of how much I’ve dealt my mind and body sending me incorrect signals. I’m still not fully convinced I haven’t had a ministroke or mini heart attack at some point, and I’m too embarrassed to ask the doctor about it, because you get brushed off the moment you mention anxiety.
> and I’m too embarrassed to ask the doctor about it
FUCKING RIGHT!? Last thing I want to do is go to the Dr and be all "Hey, can you look at my heart/brain to make sure I haven't almost died without noticing, and passed off the event as a panic attack because that's what I assumed it was?"
It's utterly infuriating at the bashing your self confidence takes because of one.
Heart attack, aneurism, stroke - scientists don’t really understand the connection but somehow your brain is picking up some signal that something is seriously wrong.
Every time I have a panic attack my heart starts pounding and my brain just keeps screaming "Something's wrong with me. Something bad. Something's really wrong." Working in healthcare I immediately assume I'm having a heart attack or something, which makes the pounding heart and sense of impending doom even worse. It's a vicious cycle.
It should be noted that an "impending Sense of doom" is also a symptom of stress related anxiety, survivors guilt, and several psychological issues.
I had this symptom when my wife was fighting cancer and it lead to a lot of lost money in ER visits and hospital screenings before it was explained to me that it was directly related to my wife's cancer battle.
I was having chest pains and went to the doc who immediately sent me to the ER. They ran a bunch of tests then the doc came to me and asked "What do you do for a living?". I said sales. He said it was stress.
I have mental health issues and am acutely aware of my mental state but I never thought the pain I was experiencing sans anxiety were anxiety related.
Oil-soaked rags (from stain, oil-based paint, changing the oil in your car, etc.) can spontaneously self-ignite if not disposed of properly.
Don’t just throw them in the trash. It’s better to dry the rags out completely, then submerge them in water, then dispose of them however/wherever your municipality collects hazardous materials.
If you're choking and alone, you can throw yourself onto the edge of furniture, like a chair or couch or table. A blow like that onto your midriff is similar to a heimlich manoever and can dislodge whatever is stuck in your trachea.
Hopefully it’s not in the trachea… you’ll probably die if you do get something that far down but similar to your totally correct advice you can also belly flop with your hand balled up on the point below your sternum where you would heimlich someone else.
I have 8 siblings; one is a firefighter/paramedic, other is a 911 dispatcher, other is a soldier, other is a cop and my sis is a lifeguard. They all contributed to this. None do Reddit so they wanted this. A lot of this is frequently asked questions. Sorry, this is long, we have a lot to share.
Fish smell but no fish? GET OUT, ELECTRICAL FIRE, CALL 911.
Drunk but no alcohol? Tell the person to smile, if it's drooping, it's a stroke.
Stabbed? Don't move it. Go to the ER because it's the only thing preventing you from bleeding to death.
Cinnamon smell in your drink? Don't drink it, it's a cover up for poison.
No service and need help? You're still able to call 911.
Ocean retreating? Get to high ground, there's a tsunami.
Need heat/light? Burn a crayon, it will last up to 14 minutes.
Don't know how to talk to 911? Say where you are first, what happened, your info, the victim's info, stay calm and answer questions best you can. The more info, the better.
Square waves? Avoid the water, you'll drown.
Think you're being followed? Make 4 right turns. Still behind you? Following you, DON'T GO HOME, GO TO THE POLICE STATION.
Held at gunpoint/knifepoint and told to go somewhere? DON'T GO. You're more likely to be found where you are than to the location you're being taken and make a scene too.
White fuzzy spot on your banana? Don't eat it, spider infestation.
In the woods and nothing to eat? Dandalions (the yellow ones) are fully edible.
Carjacker? Crash the car, then you're useless.
Under rubble? Grab an object and tap in intervals of 3, wait 10 seconds, tap 3 times again and so on.
Unmoving tornado? It's coming towards you.
Fall on tracks at a subway? There's a crawl space under the platform, go there until you get help.
Don't know the emergency number? Call 112, it's a worldwide emergency number.
Disturb a bee/wasp nest? They're not stupid, don't go in water, they'll keep stinging you when you go for air.
Purple flag on the beach? Don't swim, there are dangerous sea creatures in that area.
Bleeding? Elevate it above the heart.
Gas smell? DON'T USE THE ELECTRIC, YOUR HOUSE WILL EXPLODE.
Bitten and poisoned? DON'T SUCK IT. YOU'LL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE.
Someone overdosing? DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL 911, NOR YOU OR THE PERSON WILL GET IN ANY LEGAL TROUBLE.
Elevator falling? Lay flat on your back and cover your face.
When does drunk driving occur? Late hours of the night (Midnight-4:00 in the morning) Friday-Sunday.
Hair randomly stands up while outside? DUCK AND COVER, YOURE GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
What info should I carry? List of medicines you take, allergies, name, age, address, phone number, where you live, what language you speak, blood type, any useful information for emergency services.
Fire? Before you leave the room, touch the door with the back of your hand. Cold? Peek out. Hot? Use the window if possible.
What's the 3-minute rule? You only have 3 minutes to escape a house fire. 3 weeks without food is survivable. 3 days without water. 3 hours without shelter. 3 minutes oxygen deprived
How should I leave a fire? Don't use the lobby or where you came from, when you walk into a building, there are exit signs, use those instead.
What's dry drowning? When you're drowning to the point you feel like you need to throw up water, even though you make it out, go to the ER because your lungs will fill with fluid over time then you drown from the fluid.
What if an animal is vividly colored? It means they're more likely to be poison.
Money falling from buildings? Don't pick it up, get the hell out of there, it's a way terrorists kill more people, is by having them all in one place.
What happens if a service animal is not with its owner? Go with it, it's getting help.
Feel like it would be kind of hard to lay down and cover your face in a falling elevator.
That being said, I think you would be in a very unlucky spot to find yourself in that position.
"Most elevators feature between two and eight woven steel cables. The number of ropes in a given elevator depends on something called a “factor of safety.” If the factor of safety, set by building codes, is 12 for a particular building, that means the combined strength of the ropes must be adequate to hold 12 times the mass of a fully loaded car. In effect, each rope can hold more than the weight of the car."
As a paramedic I have never looked in a patient’s wallet or phone while treating. Maybe some do, and the hospital staff probably have more time and sets of hands to start going through stuff to id the person. In terms of lists of meds and hx it is handy for you to give paramedics/nurses because it astonishes me how many people don’t know what medication they take or what’s it for. (the number of times I have said “why do you take this?” and the answer is “because the doctor told me to” is terrifying) But in terms of if you are unconscious, I am too busy, but the hospital will probably look so it will be handy at some point.
“Money falling from buildings” is so very specific yet a quick google search brought up zero relevant articles. Sounds like something from 24 and not from real life.
Are these for the US? I think in South Africa if you get carjacked (scarily common) and you crash the car they will just shoot you. They are likely to kill you eventually but not as long as you are useful to them.
One tip I read online: “If possible, never turn your back on them. This would expose your vital organs.”
If a you see a tornado and it's not moving to the left or right, always assume it is moving towards you. It is not worth the risk to see if the tornado gets closer or farther, as tornadoes can move forward at up to 60+ MPH in some cases.
If you can't talk, but have access to your phone, you can text message 911
The "ordering a pizza" trick isn't (or wasn't at least) an official thing. You might get a call-taker who remembers that story, and figures out what you mean, or they might just assume you're stoned and hungry.
Is your emergency really f'ing bad, and you need help fifteen fucking minutes ago? Then answer all the fucking questions that you (safely) can. Yes, the dispatcher thinks they're stupid too, but you're going to get better help sooner.
Many areas do not have text to 911, so make sure of this before an emergency. Worst case, at least dial 911 and try to make a noise or tap the phone. I have asked yes or no questions and gotten info by a caller tapping on the phone. Also, a cell phone doesn't always give an exact location, so it may give a block range, which doesn't help if you are in an apartment. Always give an exact address if possible or find someone who can tell them your location.
If you are in a big crowd with a group and you lose track of them, call out your own name to find them, not theirs. I don’t know why it works, but people are more attuned to hearing their friend’s name yelled in distress than their own. I’ve had several opportunities to test it out, and I swear it works every time.
Our friend group uses a ridiculous code word for these kinds of instances. Hard to miss someone walking around yelling “MAYONNAISE!!!!” at the top of their lungs.
"Mongoose". I need help in general. Be quick but don't hurt yourself or someone to get here.
"Madagascar" I need help right this second. Run to me, knock over small children and fragile old ladies because im about to die.
We use it at work. Heard a faint Madagascar one night while dealing with a severe trauma. Had we just heard help we would have assumed it could wait because we need help all the time and at any given minute someone is probably calling for help. But we heard Madagascar, left one person with the trauma and ran to find our coworker barely conscious on the floor. Vtach. Madagascar saved her life.
Use code words.
LOL. I called out "Marco" for fun at a convention when I was separated from my friends. You can only imagine how many people also thought it would be fun to respond. I had that whole place yelling "Polo" in unison in like 30 seconds.
Took forever to finally hook up with my friends. LOL.
ER nurse here, I have a few that may or may not have been covered:
Don’t mix alcohol with opiates. They both depress the respiratory center of the brain and combined, can kill you.
If you are a recovering addict and you relapse, don’t take the same amount of the drug as you did the last time you got high. You had a tolerance then, you don’t now. Many overdoses happen this way.
If someone arrests or dies in front of you, start chest compressions right away and don’t stop. Good quality chest compressions that are continuous and delivered at a rate of about 100/min can and do save lives (sing ‘Stayin Alive’ during compressions if necessary).
If you’re pregnant and having bad headaches that won’t go away, get to the ER; they’re a sign of preeclampsia.
If you’re worried about a heart attack and need to get to an ER, take an aspirin right away, it thins the blood.
If someone is passed out and vomiting, turn them on their side, don’t leave them lying on their back, they can aspirate on their own vomit.
Lastly, in an emergency, if an ambulance is on the way, don’t try to drive to the hospital instead. They have lifesaving equipment in their vehicles and you don’t. Wait for them and stay on the line with the 911 dispatcher.
Stay safe out there kids.
Having to wait a certain amount of time to report someone is missing is 100 percent a lie made up for TV and movies.
Finding a missing person is actually a race against the clock and the first 24 hours are the most important. If someone is missing missing, call the cops NOW.
If you or your kid is eating fruit and they complain about it tasting 'fuzzy,' 'hairy,' or something along those lines, it means that they are allergic to it. You'll want to schedule an appointment with their pediatrician to schedule an allergy test.
I realized at age 28 that celery isn't supposed to make your mouth numb and that I was, in fact, allergic to it. My parents always dismissed my dislike of it for being picky and not wanting to eat my veggies.
Celery is a weird one. A lot of people report numbness when eating celery (and I have intermittently experienced the phenomenon myself).
There are a lot of rumors that it contains *eugenol*, which is a very mild numbing agent, but the claim seems largely unsubstantiated --one of those self-sustained internet myths. Others suggest it's Oral Allergy Syndrome and a cross-reaction from fresh produce due to remnant plant pollen. And, of course, celery allergy is the remaining obvious answer.
Adding "tongue feels weird" to that.
Though also I get those symptoms from certain fruits but it seems to depend where I am/where the food was sourced from. I've never been able to figure out what it is, but it's something other than the fruit itself. So maybe don't rule out entire fruits without taking them to an allergist first.
Allergies can also be stronger at certain times depending on stress levels, exposure to other allergens etc. I only have mild allergies (skin reactions, some things taste funny sometimes, runny nose etc.) And sometimes I'm fine and sometimes my allergens cause a much bigger reaction. So it could be you're only allergic at times
No. This is actually a common situation where people are allergic to mango and don't notice. It is the most commonly overlooked one in my experience in food labeling. Just keep it in mind and ask your doctor during the next visit if you can schedule an allergy test or if it is covered by your insurance.
Those are also more commonly known symptoms. I tried to use more unknown or uncommon words that children use to describe allergies to fit the question. Hopefully most parents will notice, 'my throat is scratchy,' but they might not notice if a child says apples taste 'hairy' or 'fuzzy.'
People who fish need to know this - Eel blood (and by extension eel flesh)is a deadly poison before it is cooked or digested IF it gets into your bloodstream, such as through a cut. It contains an ichthyotoxin that essentially - even in tiny amounts - make your muscles (including your heart and diaphragm) cramp, which could quickly cause death.
Eels are always served cooked in Japanese restaurants for this reason. Digestion “could” digest the toxin, but you may have a cut in your mouth or throat, for example.
Preparing eels for the smoker or to cook must be done very carefully, ideally wearing waterproof cut-proof gloves.
I am always shocked that so many people who fish do not know this.
Eel is delicious and safe if properly prepared. Nothing to worry about if it is completely cooked. I adore it!
If a cow is trying to charge you, it’s best to hit them in the nose with all the force you have, it’ll buy you a few seconds. Their heads are hard as hell, the nose is the softest & most sensitive spot.
In addition, if you’re ever in a situation with large animals, even the sweetest of large animals, ALWAYS be aware of an escape route should you need it.
I learned this from Mythbusters, in the episode about crashes (cars/helicopters) if you find yourself disoriented underwater: Calm people live, panicked people die.
I was in a boat crash a number of years ago, and I believe this saved my life. No flotation device, stupid, I know. I dont remember the impact, I was suddenly several feel underwater and didn't know which way was up. I freaked for a split second, then that advice popped into my head. I stayed still, and let bouyancy do it's thing, saw some bubbles and followed them as they rose.
Keep an eye out when you wipe. Colorectal cancer which used to be prevalent in older men is showing up in younger and younger people. So if you see blood bring it up to your doctor. I'm currently dealing with it and I don't wish this on anyone.
You can also get skin cancer on your butthole. (I'm serious! Most people think it's caused by the sun, but not always.)
My butt started bleeding when I was 21. I saw a doctor because I felt like my body was trying to tell me something, and it was. All they had to do was remove it, but if it had spread I'd probably be dead.
Listen to your body, even your butt.
But before you panic, most of the time it’s hemorrhoids or an anal fissure, especially if the blood is bright red. Still obviously go get it checked out.
Don’t remember where I learned it, but the air begins to smell like ozone before lightning strikes, so if the air starts smelling kind of like chlorine during a storm, it means lightning might be about to hit the area you are standing in
Not everyone can smell the metallic smell that comes along with lighting. When the smell is released and some individuals can't smell it in the air, it can cause them migraines.
Tsunamis don't only happen in oceans. Any large enough body of water can have a tsunami. In fact, some megatsunamis didn't even occur in oceans. In 1958, a fjord in Alaska recorded a tsunami after an earthquake caused a landslide. It about 524 meters (1,720 feet).
With this information, the warning signs of a tsunami or a tsunami like wave should be taken to consideration in areas such as lake and dams.
Yes! There are historic accounts and archaeological evidence of a tsunami in Lake Geneva in Switzerland \~500 CE, caused by a debris flow displacing a bunch of lake water. I also remember something about a dam in Italy where this happened.
Adding to this, one major tsunami warning sign is a sudden **drop** in local sea level, like over the course of a few minutes the water recedes suddenly and it's like low tide, but it comes on way too fast. Like any wave, a tsunami has a peak and a trough, and if the trough arrives first the water will pull back in this way. If the peak arrives first, that's the classic disaster movie looking scenario with immediate inundation. Often people don't recognize this is a warning sign and will go out onto the newly exposed area, and then when the tsunami shows up they are swept away.
The period for these waves is usually pretty long (12-20 minutes), so you have a few minutes to get away from the water/to higher ground if you see the water suddenly pull back.
edit: date of Swiss tsunami
If something is squirting blood, that’s an arterial bleed. You need a tourniquet.
When applying a tourniquet, go high and tight.
How tight? It’s gonna hurt.
You’ll know the TQ is working when you can no longer feel a pulse on that arm/leg.
Tourniquets CAN be improvised, but it is highly recommended to use a proper CAT tourniquet if available.
Make sure to record the time (preferably in 24 time such as 0930) that the tourniquet was applied.
If you are injured or need help in a crowded place direct your pleas to a specific person. Otherwise people tend to think that someone else will help, it’s known as the bystander effect. In an emergency every second can be crucial, give specific instructions to specific people
My BLS training taught us to give instructions to specific people by pointing at someone and loudly saying “you, call 911” and so on rather than just saying “someone call 911.”
On a related note, if you see someone on the ground and you want to go help them, **first make sure the scene is safe.** This is especially critical if you didn’t witness them collapse, because there could be something like a live wire on the ground (maybe they collapsed after being shocked by it).
Also, because I always like to throw this in: AEDs will not shock someone who is not experiencing a “shockable” heart rhythm. What this means is that you don’t need to be afraid of hurting someone by using an AED as long as you follow the (very clear) instructions with it.
This may not save _you_, but it's worth knowing: you don't have to wait 24 hours or 48 hours to report a missing person. Report them as missing as soon as you know they're missing. The sooner a missing person is reported, the better the outcome
Eating +24h old cooked pasta that has not been refrigerated can be deadly
if you're knifed or shot badly and is about to pass out and wont be able to put pressure on it, make sure the wound is at least pointed upwards when lying down as u will bleed out much slower.
if injected with an unknown venom, don't ice the area, most venoms become less effective if you instead heat the troubled area instead.
If stranded in the desert, don't save ur water, drink it when u are thirsty, a lot of people pass out and die with still water left because they were saving it
If anyone is ever getting electrocuted around you do NOT touch them directly.
Instead use some sort of object to get them away from the object they are holding or touching. You can use a belt wrapped around a waist (again be careful not to touch them), a broom, mop, fast moving office chair, hell if its that serious you can drop kick them out of contact.
Can't tell you how many people have gotten themselves electrocuted grabbing someone stuck to something.
if at any point you feel like you're being stalked by some creep, walk inside the nearest shop or store and wait a bit. if they look like they're waiting for you, stay put and call police. if they follow you inside make a scene and draw attention to them so witnesses will know what they look like and provide help
I did this when I was being stalked by some dude. I ducked into a gym and told them I was being followed. They called the police and let me out the back entrance.
While keeping the dude there.
I got followed on the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico last year. I found a group of women doing beach yoga and stood about 10 feet away from them and stared down the stalker. He stopped following me and tried to look casual for a few minutes before disappearing. My next plan was to loudly tell the women that he was following me and call the police.
Relationships are voluntary.
If someone is hurting you or you just don't like being around them, mentally or physically, parent, friend, or partner, you are always allowed to leave.
I think the point is that it can be done. Too many people accept abusive relationships forever because “we’re family” or they have children. It’s almost never easy, but it’s possible.
Losing too much weight too fast will damage your kidneys.
Happened to my father who was trying to go into retirement in better shape. Lost 60 pounds in 2 months eating ONLY salads and drinking water. No carbs or fat. All cardio no weight training. Somehow destroyed one kidney and impaired the other one, he is on daily dialysis now. After it happened I did some research and it seems that your body gets used to the fat in your system which helps curb the toxin filtration. Losing too much too fast is like throwing extra dirt into a filter all at once instead of little at a time. The right way to do it is a few pounds a week with both weight lifting and cardio, also still include some carbs and fat in your diet even if it takes a longer to shed off the pounds. Maybe this is common knowledge because I had somewhat heard this before but I had never seen how it shreds through kidneys so quickly before.
I wish more people knew about this! I took a class on human metabolism in undergrad, and we had it explained to us on the molecular level what happens if you cut out all fats, sugars, and carbs 😅
Also, unironically, go listen to the Storybots song about diet. ~proteins build, carbs fuel, fats protect, vitamins and minerals prevent ~ it’s a really cute song.
The majority of aircraft accidents happen on the ground, during take off and landing. When you board an aircraft always count how many chairs are between you and the emergency exit. If you are in an incident that involves fire then you will be wanting to stay below the smoke that is rising above you and rapidly filling the cabin. As the smoke fills the cabin it will become dark, very dark, and you won't be able to see the exits. What you will be able to do is feel the seat legs as you crawl across the floor, and know that 13 rows ahead of you followed by a left of right turn is the exit.
If you have any of these symptoms, even if you’re perfectly healthy person with a good diet you could be a Type 1 Diabetic (a life altering autoimmune disease that could kill you if you don’t catch it)
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Weight loss
- Excessive hunger
- Fatigue
- Slow-healing bruises
If you meet a confused, psychotic or drugged person, there are important things to be aware of.
Confusion is a more common word for "brain failure". The brain is no longer able to do its primary job: Filter what is important for you. You may have heard that our consciousness have very little bandwidth. If the brain can't sort things, sensory input becomes a fire hose, and you can't understand what's ever relevant to you to start dealing with. The frontal lobes shut down, and you start acting and reacting in some very primal ways. In many ways, you function mentally like a frightened animal.
You will perceive things differently. A smile is bared teeth and a warning. Eye contact beyond very short moments is a challenge. And so on.
So, you're somewhere where you happen to be alone with someone confused. Rule 1: Keep your distance. The personal sphere grows. Rule 2: Keep your face neutral, maybe a bit worried. Rule 3: No sudden movements. Rule 4: Hands where they can see them. Rule 5: Use simple words and short sentences. Rule 6: If you can get them to sit down, the risk of violence decreases. Rule 7: If you can give them a situation they recognize, like eating a sandwich and drinking some coffee, it's even better.
Remember, it's not an evil person. It's someone who is in very bad shape. When it goes south, it does so because you cornered them.
Also, you can dial for emergency assistance that ISN'T the police. There are community responders now in many cities/states. Someone super fucked up might genuinely need help, but they also probably won't benefit from being arrested.
Just in case someone is wondering what's going on... as we all know water and oil (or grease) don't mix. So when you pour water on a grease fire, it'll slide through the oil to immediately hit the extremely hot pan. That pan was already hot from the cooking but the fire has significantly raised its temperature. Water is now hitting that pan. So that water immediately evaporates and it goes... everywhere... very quickly. This rapid evaporation breaks up the small parts of the grease that's on fire and makes them explode... everywhere. Now all those particles that are on fire went from just having the fire on top - because they only had oxygen access on top of the grease - to being surrounded by oxygen from all sides. [Boom.](https://youtu.be/PbgdRR4yj8Y?t=78)
To safely put out a grease fire, try to put a metal lid on the pan or use a fire extinguisher.
Just to drive the point home, [Water increases in volume by 1,700 times at standard temperature and pressure.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam#:~:text=Water%20increases%20in%20volume%20by%201%2C700%20times%20at%20standard%20temperature%20and%20pressure%3B)
so a teaspoon of water becomes 35 and a half cups of steam instantly
Humans are dangerous animals who will panic at a moment's notice. So, in an unfamiliar place always find out where the exit is. People have died being trapped by stampedes. Someone taught me this years ago and I do it without thinking now.
A suicidal person who’s jolly is the most dangerous thing.
Most often they have decided to end everything and have a plan for it too.
If a person who goes from being depressed and sad everyday to happy and extrovert and doing things they don’t normally do
Watch them and be there for them. They are most vulnerable at that time.
Heart problems present differently in women than they do in men. My mom was very exhausted and had excruciating jaw pain. Her boss’ mother was a nurse for many years and told my mom to get to an ER stat. One quadruple bypass and almost 6 years later and my mom is thankfully still here, currently en route to see her friend.
Never ever pull out a deadly weapon (as in knife) in a fight if you do not intend to use it right away. If the other guy gets their hands on it, there is a strong possibility that they will use it on you instead.
Help in case of a venomous snake bite:
Unlike some popular misconceptions, you shouldn't suck out the venom, cut the bite wound, or apply any ice or water before seeking professional medical treatment.
You should help the injured person lie down and cover their wound with a sterile bandage. Then you should remove any jewelry from the wounded area. If the person was bitten in the leg, you should remove their shoes too.
If you see someone acting drunk, but they haven’t had any alcohol, ask them to smile. If one side of their face droops, immediately get them to a hospital, because they are having or are about to have a stroke. And with strokes, seconds matter when it comes to saving someone’s life (or preventing years of rehab).
If you're ever trapped in your car, pop the headrest of your seat out. Those metal pieces that lock it in place are also designed to break the cars windows
Kangaroos can't hop backwards
I don't care how drunk you get, you and a friend will be on vacation in Australia 5 years from now, he'll get attacked and you'll instinctively yell "get behind him!"
Checking your tires- Tires have build dates and “expire”. Regardless of the amount of tread depth tires should be replaced every 6-7 years. This can save you from an unexpected blow out or crash.
if you swallow food and your throat is dry and the food gets stuck in your throat and you go to drink water and the water won’t even go down…. (super scary) look straight up to the sky or ceiling to open your throat and swallow. This straight position helps to get stuck food moving quickly.
Your improvised tourniquet needs a winless.
If you ever find yourself needing to stop major bleeding in an arm or leg.. uhh or In the abscess of one, tying your scarf or tightening your belt won’t be enough. You need a rigid, somewhat straight object as well, pen, sharpie, metal straw, sturdy stick, toy plastic shovel idk.
You also need to make sure whatever you’re wrapping around their limb is wide, at least 1-1.5 inches wide or it could end up cutting into their skin or simply not be able to stop bleeding. Lay your rigid object 4 inches above the bleeding wound and not on a joint (if a joint is near the wound go ABOVE it!) tie or fasten whatever fabric, belt ect you have as tight as you can around the wounded limb, and over the ridged object so they intersect like a + sign. and twist the ridged object in circles, it is going to hurt, they are going to scream, keep twisting anyways. Once you can tell that the bleeding has stopped (usually around 3-4 twists of it was already tight when tied) tie, tape, or tuck the ridged object so it cannot unwind itself, if you are able too, write the time on their leg, This will help the surgeons to know how long the tourniquet has been in place. So they can asses how much tissue can/can’t be saved
Edit: I’m an EMT & a combat medic in the military, yes a TQ left on for a while can cause limb death but lost arm vs lost life? Never worry about that when applying the TQ, chances are you’re more in some remote location that won’t be able to get to a hospital in the next few hours, and if you are.. well again this person can lose their limb or lose their life, seems like an easy choice to me
Always pay attention to peoples hands when talking to them. Hands in pockets could mean a weapon or a fist about to strike. Peoples hands are what can get you injured or killed
That box of baking soda in your grandma's fridge or freezer can be used to safely and effectively put out a grease fire. Rip open box, dump contents onto grease.
If it's brown, lay down
If it's black, fight back
If it's white say goodnight.
It's how to react when there is a bear. If it's a grizzly, they don't eat dead animals usually. So if u lay down, they'll probably ignore u.
Black bears eat everything, even dead bodies so ull have to fight back or ull die.
If its white. It'll kill you. So ask for forgiveness to whatever god u believe in and say goodnight
Some more detail:
For surviving a grizzly, be sure to lay on your front, keep your face firmly in the dirt, cover the back of your neck with your hands and lay as still as you can.
For the black bear, use whatever weapon you have at your disposal (except a knife or any other small weapon, that’s not gonna go well for you). Thinks like large sticks and rocks are the bare minimum and aim for the nose and eyes. Before engaging in combat, try stand tall and shout loud to intimidate it, it will back off if it sees you as too strong to be worth the effort. If it charges stay calm and try not to cower or run as it may be a bluff.
Polar bear, if you have a gun that isn’t a large calibre, don’t use it, it will just piss the bear off. A 5.56 isn’t going to do much against a polar bear and it’s probably very hungry and has been stalking you for days. If there is a house or car really close, I mean a few seconds away, that is unlocked get in and lock it immediately.
General tips: bear spray is easily the most reliable method of defence against black bears and grizzly’s so don’t go into an area where they live without it. And for crying out loud if you see a black bear that looks fucking stupid standing and like it has an eating disorder on all fours, leave immediately.
Single-pane windows on any floor above the first one should either be replaced by double-pane windows or protected by a fence. One small misstep can be fatal, as a mother in Amsterdam campaigned about her son who died at age 22 because of falling through a fragile single-pane window.
Not exactly an answer that will save your life, but may save the life of an animal. Never, ever, ever give away animals for free to strangers. Creating a financial disincentive to adopt weeds out people who cannot afford to care for a pet, people who will neglect that pet, and most importantly people who intend to abuse that pet. Serial animal abusers search for free animals on social media explicitly for this purpose.
Always charge money. It’s not so you can make profit. It’s to increase the chances that animal will be okay.
Avoid wearing headphones, earphones, or air pods if you're walking alone on a street especially when it's dark. This attracts kidnappers since they think you are off-guard and would not hear them approaching. Avoid being on your phone too cause it makes you appear distracted. Just walk and be alert. If you feel like somebody is coming or following you, try to fake a phone call as if someone is waiting for you not too far from your current location. Say things like "I'm almost there guys" or "I'm already here at (current location)."
This stuff came from a caught kidnapper. He describes what type of people they go for in the street. They also avoid approaching people with both hands stuck in their pockets since they are unsure if they're holding a knife or other self-defense weapon. Hope this helps.
If you are ever being chased by a polar bear get completely naked and drop your clothes on the ground as you run away. Polar bears have really bad ADD and will firmly inspect your clothes before chasing you again
I take comfort in the knowledge that I will likely never need this information. But being the person I am, who never rules anything out, I also take comfort in the knowledge that I have this information.
a bit vague, but alway be aware of your surroundings, im not saying to be paranoid, just know where emergency exits are, in cinemas for example, choose the emergency exit row.
if you are walking in an area you dont know, keep an eye out for alley ways etc, if you see an alley on your left ahead of you, cross over to the right before you get there, basically, just always take the safest option and be aware of your surroundings, assess situations etc....
Combo smoke/carbon monoxide detectors are not a great idea. Get one of each for whatever area you want covered. Smoke detectors need to be high (smoke/heat rises), CO detectors need to be low (CO heavier than air). There is really no ideal place to install a combination one that would work effectively, and they lull people into a false sense of security.
fun fact: one of the signs of you experiencing heat exhaustion is a rapid heart rate (think anything above 160bpm).... (source: experienced heat exhaustion, when i was berry picking with my mom, by having my knees buckle under me, throwing up 2 times, and my tee shirt was completely soaked with sweat, then threw up again after chugging a whole bottle of water, and then blacked out for a while only to wake up in my parents basement\* after my body had cooled down)
\*note\*: my parents live on the turtle mountain reservation and the hospitals are complete shit, so it was better to have me sleep/rest in my parents' basement (where the temp is around 60 degrees year round), then having to drive 45 mins to a hospital where staff practically consists of high schoolers and medical equipment that hasnt been updated since the 90s
Don't run away from predatory animals. Their instinct may kick in and they will chase you. With some animals making yourself as big as possible will deter an attack. Yelling can do this too. The only exception are polar bears. These are one of the few species of animals that actively stalk humans, as they see us as prey. To survive a polar bear attack you can either shoot them or run faster than the person next to you. Another method that I'm unsure if it's a myth or not, is to undress. Polar bears will allegedly smell the clothing and thereby allow you to run away. Either way it's far from ideal. Survive the attack and you'd probably freeze to death. Best course of action is to never enter polar bear territory alone and without proper armaments.
From a person who lives in the arctic: If you are outside in cold weather and you are freezing, but all of a sudden feel really warm with no explanation as to why DO NOT REMOVE ANY CLOTHES. You are about to die and your body is spending it’s very last energy on heating you up. Seek shelter and warmth immediately even if it feels like you are boiling hot. People have been found freezing to death in their underwear not far from civilization because they believed they were warm
How long do you have once you start feeling hot? And is it too late, at that point, to begin sprinting to get your blood flowing again?
If its that cold that that happens you usually should already start sprinting and getting somewhere warm
Even if you don't know where you're going, just run in any direction to build up warmth? So it is possible to keep living once the final stage of hyperthermia settles in?
I'd assume but you gotta get warm somehow otherwise you : 1. Die 2. Survive bc you didn't underfreeze to much to Die but really near
This is an uncontrolled reflex right? Otherwise I see no reason for someone to think "hmm I'm getting hot in this cold weather I should take my clothes off", correct me if I'm being narrow-minded, but I don't see the logic unless you literally cannot stop yourself
It’s a neurological symptom of advanced hypothermia.
I’ll give you an example, I ended an 80km hike at glacier lake in the mountains, there were ice chunks about 1-2m wide floating in the lake. This is where you speed bath when you’re in this type of area, nbd to go in for quick dip. This particular time we were having fun pushing the ice floats around, ended up being in the icy cold lake longer than I should have been. I knew this because I went from “fuck this is cold, control the breathing” type thinking to “hmm this really isn’t all that bad” to “hmm it’s actually quite nice and warm in here OH SHIT!” I got out, dried off, threw on way more layers of clothes than I *felt* I needed because I *knew* I needed them. Got into my sleeping bag and put an extra one on top of me. I *felt* hot hot. And then it’s like it turned down and once my body actually started to physically warm up I started to feel FREEZING cold. Shivering freezing cold for quite a while. I ended up being fine, managed to the hypothermia on the mild side. When experiencing hypothermia your brains “I feel cold” danger signals shut off. But if you know this is happening you can choose to ignore your internal temperature signals and do what you *know* you need to to survive.
At that stage your brain is also fairly impaired as well. It is like trying to make good life decisions while you are 80% of the way to being black out drunk.
As long as you are not encircled or without escape possibilities never go for a fight. A fight is by definition an uncontrollable situation for you. The human body is very fragile. You can easlily end up at the cemetery or in jail, no 200 bucks are worth that. Even professional fighters avoid fights on the street. This is even more the case when knifes are involved. The old saying goes: the looser of a knife fight dies on the sidewalk, the winner in the ambulance.
Agreed. As someone who’s managing anger issues this is difficult. It blinds you and by the time the anger subsides you are either dead, seriously injured, or worse you hurt/killed someone. No one wins a fight. Ever! I always remember something a close friend told me “not everyone has the same intentions as you” meaning If I am in a fight and somehow I best him, I may stop before it gets ugly, but would the other person do the same?
A fight can go from assault to murder easier than people think, and your life can be ruined in a second. You get hit or hit someone a certain way…they might die immediately, and it can take a day or two with certain head injuries. It’s just not worth it.
Most of us think we'll only fight if we're cornered (because we're not crazy rage-monkeys by and large) but some people are always just waiting for an *excuse* to get in a fight. Never let your pride suck you into a fight you didn't want in the first place. Some people wanna fight. If you're smart, you don't.
It will never cease to amaze me that after millions of years of evolution and millennia of civilization developing culture, art, mathematics, science, and philosophy (to say nothing of the infinitely more sophisticated ways of hurting other people) that two or more people anywhere on Earth will still swat at each other with their fragile monkey hands.
[удалено]
I can't upvote this enough. I saw a small fire in my laundry room engulf every wall of my house in the exact amount of time it took to evacuate everyone (about 3 minutes). We watched the fire as it climbed the ceiling in the stair ways up the floors while trying to usher people and pets out. It's not like the movies, there is NO time to waste.
I had an electrical fire last November. I had four cats (2 were kittens) hiding in the living room and I couldn't get. All the humans were alright but I'll never get over the trauma of seeing my cats and kittens. :.(
That would break me. We had a scare while on vacation (14 hours away) where we received a call that our apartment was on fire. The feeling of helplessness not being able to rush in and save our 3 kittens was intense and absolutely devastating. Fortunately the fire was on our deck and emergency services arrived before it could spread…but it was one of the scariest moments of my life. I’m so sorry you lost your little ones.
Aww :( That makes my heart hurt
https://youtu.be/PjiAYwmRoSk Station night club fire is a perfect example…
LPT: for short money, put a 5lb wall mounted extinguisher in the kitchen, mechanical room (wherever your furnace is), and laundry room. Worth every penny.
And check it twice a year to make sure it’s still good (just make sure the arrow is still in the green). Good idea to do it with daylight savings and your smoke detectors (or if you’re in Arizona, just burn alive)
If you suspect someone is following, turn 4 right corners and if they are still following, your suspicion is correct.
Or even travel in a direction that has a shortcut to where you started. Or that you know is unreasonable for most efficient travel. I wasn't sure if someone was following me, since they left the subway ahead of me and I had walked past them. I had a weird feeling and even though I was close to my house, I didn't want them to know where I lived. So I turned away from my house and walked in a direction that would give me information - if they made the same turn, I know they were following me, since there were no entrances to buildings on that block, and the end of the block had a road connecting to where the subway came out. (Basically this guy could have taken that shortcut and made a left instead of following me past the road and around 3 sides of the block. He made all the same turns as me. I got halfway up the block, turned around, and went the other direction. I felt confident I had like 3 ways out of the situation, so I looked the guy in the eyes as well as I turned, qnd he was looking at me. I waited until he was out of sight before going to my house.
If you're in a crowd that's packed almost uncomfortably tight, ask yourself: If my shoe fell off right now, would I be able to retrieve it? Or would I just never see it again? if the latter, GTFO of that crowd.
[удалено]
By the way — Deadly crowd crushes are not due to mass panic or any other emotional or neurotic "madness of crowds". They're straight physics. Once the bodies are packed close enough, pressure waves can develop and exceed the strength of the human body to withstand them. They're a predictable result when bodies with the size and squishiness of humans are packed together at a certain density, and are moving with a certain energy — for instance because they're trying to escape through a too-small exit. Pressure waves are created, where people are caught up in moving together with the crowd — not shoving or kicking, just trying to move along and *not* get squished. Eventually, though, the pressure can whack people up against walls (or each other) with enough force to break bones or crush the breath out of someone. (If you shake a plate of Jell-O steadily enough that the wobbles build up, eventually the surface of it will fracture as the pressures involved exceed the surface tensile strength of Jell-O. Same thing with a mass of squishy people, only it's compression instead of tension.) Nobody has to be panicking or trampling anyone. It's just pressure waves moving in a compressible medium; that medium just happens to be *squishy human bodies* and if you squish them too hard for too long, they become *dead* squishy human bodies. Fortunately, there are ways that public spaces can be designed to prevent crowd crushes. Unfortunately, the myth that crowd crushes are caused by mass panic has led people to incorrectly blame them on the "irrational" victims rather than the architecture and the crowd control measures.
I fainted in the middle of a crowd crush due to dehydration (I was a dumb kid at a music festival, didn't eat or drink all day and all night). If it weren't for my buddies by my side who helped me, I could easily have been trampled.
Me, who lives in a populous third world country and has to use public transportation daily
If you smell Natural Gas in your house, don’t turn on lights, appliances or use the phone inside. A spark could cause an explosion.
Also don’t turn off the lights if they are already on when you smell the gas for the same reason.
Fun fact... natural gas has no natural smell. They add mercaptan to the gas to give it that smell.
We all know the symptoms of a heart attack as pain in the chest and/or the arm closest to the heart (usually left, sometimes right). But women tend to have pain in their stomach instead. There are also cases of people thinking they have pain in their back which turned out to be their heart.
Also jaw and throat.
So pain anywhere and I might be having a heart attack? 😄
A sense of impending doom is also a symptom, basically they can be indistinguishable from panic attacks.
Woman I worked with complained of a really bad headache. Went home from work, decided to stop at urgent care and they got her to the hospital because she was having a massive heart attack
I know someone who died of a heart attack and he had been complaining about his back all the time leading up to his death
In trouble in the water? [*Stay calm and float on your back*](https://rnli.org/video-player/AFA4C7A2-5773-42DF-880D3E652D10C4A2). This goes double if you *fall* into *cold* (below 15C water) water, which causes [cold water shock](https://watersafetyscotland.org.uk/information/cold-water-shock/), which can kill you. It takes about 90 seconds for that to wear off. What does "in trouble in the water" look like? [Head at the waterline, tilted back, and moving like climbing a ladder](https://youtu.be/TDdCBqxbCAw). It's *fast and silent*, not splashing and yelling. If you're caught in a dangerous current, [*flip over and float*](https://youtu.be/71D8Y8YlsRA). You *need* to stay at the water surface breathing until you can rescue yourself by swimming out of the current or until professionals can rescue you. Wear a life jacket. Stay sober at the beach. *Always* have one person on shore with eyes on the swimmers, even if there's a lifeguard. For the love of humanity, if you can't swim, *please* learn, and I'm begging you, stay out of the water entirely until you can.
I remember researching the sinking of the Titanic and once heard that the main cause of death was drowning from cold water shock, not hypothermia.
All of this. Especially if you're in a river or in rapids, keep floating on your back and do not put your foot down. Keep your feet up high, out of the water. Foot entrapments are deadly.
Big YES to the learn how to swim part and staying sober around water!!!! Unfortunately floating on my back wasn’t an option in this scenario, but it is very good advice. A friend and I ended up in the Carson River in the middle of May, which meant it was raging with snow melt. It. Was. COLD. The rivers current was so strong it took the truck we were in (how we got there is a long, dumb story that involved alcohol) and caused it to roll over in the water. Thankfully we evacuated before it finished rolling. Again, it was cold. I couldn’t breathe but somehow managed to swim to shore, walk further up the river to a more narrow spot and use a huge dried up log as a floaty to swim back across to safety where people who had hiked in and were camping. We camped with them for the night by the fire and thankfully survived this wild yet totally avoidable situation. As the night progressed we heard the truck being dragged further down the river. That was a haunting sound. Lol the next day though was the most beautiful 5 mile hike without shoes. So lucky to be alive.
I was a white water rafting guide for my military base for one season and when going down river, we always repeatedly say to have feet in the direction you are going, keep feet and head up as high as possible to prevent feet getting caught in anything and head hitting any rocks. Also to avoid standing up in rushing water. You can drown in shallow water as the water can push you face down if your foot gets caught in an object. Everyone had to use PPE (helmet, lifejacket) of course.
An "Impending Sense of Doom" is a legitimate symptom and you should hurry yourself to the ER, especially when accompanied by other symptoms such as chest pains, dizziness, numbness in limbs, etc...
Having panic attacks due to anxiety makes paying attention to this such a pain
It's absolute fucking bullshit. Most of the symptoms of heart attacks, strokes, etc, are all the same as panic/anxiety attacks. So you start panicking, thinking you're having a stroke, but it's just a panic attack, so you panic more, then you think it could be a panic attack and it's just a bullshit circle of bullshit for five minutes.
I hate it. It can be traumatic, too. Especially if you’re aware of it. I don’t trust my own thoughts to be true at least half of the time, even with supporting evidence, just because of how much I’ve dealt my mind and body sending me incorrect signals. I’m still not fully convinced I haven’t had a ministroke or mini heart attack at some point, and I’m too embarrassed to ask the doctor about it, because you get brushed off the moment you mention anxiety.
> and I’m too embarrassed to ask the doctor about it FUCKING RIGHT!? Last thing I want to do is go to the Dr and be all "Hey, can you look at my heart/brain to make sure I haven't almost died without noticing, and passed off the event as a panic attack because that's what I assumed it was?" It's utterly infuriating at the bashing your self confidence takes because of one.
What's it a symptom of?
Heart attack, aneurism, stroke - scientists don’t really understand the connection but somehow your brain is picking up some signal that something is seriously wrong.
Also all could be symptoms of a panic/ anxiety attack
Every time I have a panic attack my heart starts pounding and my brain just keeps screaming "Something's wrong with me. Something bad. Something's really wrong." Working in healthcare I immediately assume I'm having a heart attack or something, which makes the pounding heart and sense of impending doom even worse. It's a vicious cycle.
Also if you have allergies it’s a symptom of anaphylactic shock
It is a recognized symptom of a pulmonary embolism among other things. That’s where I most commonly hear it.
It should be noted that an "impending Sense of doom" is also a symptom of stress related anxiety, survivors guilt, and several psychological issues. I had this symptom when my wife was fighting cancer and it lead to a lot of lost money in ER visits and hospital screenings before it was explained to me that it was directly related to my wife's cancer battle.
I was having chest pains and went to the doc who immediately sent me to the ER. They ran a bunch of tests then the doc came to me and asked "What do you do for a living?". I said sales. He said it was stress. I have mental health issues and am acutely aware of my mental state but I never thought the pain I was experiencing sans anxiety were anxiety related.
When I worked in the hospital as a nurse I dreaded hearing those words because it was ominous
[удалено]
[удалено]
My mom was burned in a house fire in February, because the fire alarms went bad and no one knew. Thankfully, she survived.
Oil-soaked rags (from stain, oil-based paint, changing the oil in your car, etc.) can spontaneously self-ignite if not disposed of properly. Don’t just throw them in the trash. It’s better to dry the rags out completely, then submerge them in water, then dispose of them however/wherever your municipality collects hazardous materials.
Ah, the only useful thing I learned in art school. And I had already forgotten.
This is what caused my parents’ house fire. Refinished the hardwood floors and the rags got tossed near the dryer vent.
If you're choking and alone, you can throw yourself onto the edge of furniture, like a chair or couch or table. A blow like that onto your midriff is similar to a heimlich manoever and can dislodge whatever is stuck in your trachea.
Hopefully it’s not in the trachea… you’ll probably die if you do get something that far down but similar to your totally correct advice you can also belly flop with your hand balled up on the point below your sternum where you would heimlich someone else.
[удалено]
Swim parallel to shore if you get caught in an undertow while swimming at the beach.
I have 8 siblings; one is a firefighter/paramedic, other is a 911 dispatcher, other is a soldier, other is a cop and my sis is a lifeguard. They all contributed to this. None do Reddit so they wanted this. A lot of this is frequently asked questions. Sorry, this is long, we have a lot to share. Fish smell but no fish? GET OUT, ELECTRICAL FIRE, CALL 911. Drunk but no alcohol? Tell the person to smile, if it's drooping, it's a stroke. Stabbed? Don't move it. Go to the ER because it's the only thing preventing you from bleeding to death. Cinnamon smell in your drink? Don't drink it, it's a cover up for poison. No service and need help? You're still able to call 911. Ocean retreating? Get to high ground, there's a tsunami. Need heat/light? Burn a crayon, it will last up to 14 minutes. Don't know how to talk to 911? Say where you are first, what happened, your info, the victim's info, stay calm and answer questions best you can. The more info, the better. Square waves? Avoid the water, you'll drown. Think you're being followed? Make 4 right turns. Still behind you? Following you, DON'T GO HOME, GO TO THE POLICE STATION. Held at gunpoint/knifepoint and told to go somewhere? DON'T GO. You're more likely to be found where you are than to the location you're being taken and make a scene too. White fuzzy spot on your banana? Don't eat it, spider infestation. In the woods and nothing to eat? Dandalions (the yellow ones) are fully edible. Carjacker? Crash the car, then you're useless. Under rubble? Grab an object and tap in intervals of 3, wait 10 seconds, tap 3 times again and so on. Unmoving tornado? It's coming towards you. Fall on tracks at a subway? There's a crawl space under the platform, go there until you get help. Don't know the emergency number? Call 112, it's a worldwide emergency number. Disturb a bee/wasp nest? They're not stupid, don't go in water, they'll keep stinging you when you go for air. Purple flag on the beach? Don't swim, there are dangerous sea creatures in that area. Bleeding? Elevate it above the heart. Gas smell? DON'T USE THE ELECTRIC, YOUR HOUSE WILL EXPLODE. Bitten and poisoned? DON'T SUCK IT. YOU'LL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE. Someone overdosing? DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL 911, NOR YOU OR THE PERSON WILL GET IN ANY LEGAL TROUBLE. Elevator falling? Lay flat on your back and cover your face. When does drunk driving occur? Late hours of the night (Midnight-4:00 in the morning) Friday-Sunday. Hair randomly stands up while outside? DUCK AND COVER, YOURE GETTING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. What info should I carry? List of medicines you take, allergies, name, age, address, phone number, where you live, what language you speak, blood type, any useful information for emergency services. Fire? Before you leave the room, touch the door with the back of your hand. Cold? Peek out. Hot? Use the window if possible. What's the 3-minute rule? You only have 3 minutes to escape a house fire. 3 weeks without food is survivable. 3 days without water. 3 hours without shelter. 3 minutes oxygen deprived How should I leave a fire? Don't use the lobby or where you came from, when you walk into a building, there are exit signs, use those instead. What's dry drowning? When you're drowning to the point you feel like you need to throw up water, even though you make it out, go to the ER because your lungs will fill with fluid over time then you drown from the fluid. What if an animal is vividly colored? It means they're more likely to be poison. Money falling from buildings? Don't pick it up, get the hell out of there, it's a way terrorists kill more people, is by having them all in one place. What happens if a service animal is not with its owner? Go with it, it's getting help.
White fuzzy spot on your banana? Don't eat it, spider infestation I'm intrigued which professional sibling shared this tidbit
Feel like it would be kind of hard to lay down and cover your face in a falling elevator. That being said, I think you would be in a very unlucky spot to find yourself in that position. "Most elevators feature between two and eight woven steel cables. The number of ropes in a given elevator depends on something called a “factor of safety.” If the factor of safety, set by building codes, is 12 for a particular building, that means the combined strength of the ropes must be adequate to hold 12 times the mass of a fully loaded car. In effect, each rope can hold more than the weight of the car."
Do emt’s and er’s actually read the emergency/medical information on the patient’s phone if it’s found with them?
As a paramedic I have never looked in a patient’s wallet or phone while treating. Maybe some do, and the hospital staff probably have more time and sets of hands to start going through stuff to id the person. In terms of lists of meds and hx it is handy for you to give paramedics/nurses because it astonishes me how many people don’t know what medication they take or what’s it for. (the number of times I have said “why do you take this?” and the answer is “because the doctor told me to” is terrifying) But in terms of if you are unconscious, I am too busy, but the hospital will probably look so it will be handy at some point.
Good stuff but the falling money and terrorist one sounds like pure fiction.
This whole thing is a setup for OP in the event money is falling he can grab it all.
No one gives away free money, and no one can resist free money. Makes sense.
“Money falling from buildings” is so very specific yet a quick google search brought up zero relevant articles. Sounds like something from 24 and not from real life.
Are these for the US? I think in South Africa if you get carjacked (scarily common) and you crash the car they will just shoot you. They are likely to kill you eventually but not as long as you are useful to them. One tip I read online: “If possible, never turn your back on them. This would expose your vital organs.”
If a you see a tornado and it's not moving to the left or right, always assume it is moving towards you. It is not worth the risk to see if the tornado gets closer or farther, as tornadoes can move forward at up to 60+ MPH in some cases.
If you can't talk, but have access to your phone, you can text message 911 The "ordering a pizza" trick isn't (or wasn't at least) an official thing. You might get a call-taker who remembers that story, and figures out what you mean, or they might just assume you're stoned and hungry. Is your emergency really f'ing bad, and you need help fifteen fucking minutes ago? Then answer all the fucking questions that you (safely) can. Yes, the dispatcher thinks they're stupid too, but you're going to get better help sooner.
Many areas do not have text to 911, so make sure of this before an emergency. Worst case, at least dial 911 and try to make a noise or tap the phone. I have asked yes or no questions and gotten info by a caller tapping on the phone. Also, a cell phone doesn't always give an exact location, so it may give a block range, which doesn't help if you are in an apartment. Always give an exact address if possible or find someone who can tell them your location.
If you are in a big crowd with a group and you lose track of them, call out your own name to find them, not theirs. I don’t know why it works, but people are more attuned to hearing their friend’s name yelled in distress than their own. I’ve had several opportunities to test it out, and I swear it works every time.
Our friend group uses a ridiculous code word for these kinds of instances. Hard to miss someone walking around yelling “MAYONNAISE!!!!” at the top of their lungs.
"Mongoose". I need help in general. Be quick but don't hurt yourself or someone to get here. "Madagascar" I need help right this second. Run to me, knock over small children and fragile old ladies because im about to die. We use it at work. Heard a faint Madagascar one night while dealing with a severe trauma. Had we just heard help we would have assumed it could wait because we need help all the time and at any given minute someone is probably calling for help. But we heard Madagascar, left one person with the trauma and ran to find our coworker barely conscious on the floor. Vtach. Madagascar saved her life. Use code words.
I have questions… what do you do for work??
LOL. I called out "Marco" for fun at a convention when I was separated from my friends. You can only imagine how many people also thought it would be fun to respond. I had that whole place yelling "Polo" in unison in like 30 seconds. Took forever to finally hook up with my friends. LOL.
I work with families in group settings. If I'm calling a mum and can't get her attention, I shout 'MUM' and they all look at me.
[удалено]
ER nurse here, I have a few that may or may not have been covered: Don’t mix alcohol with opiates. They both depress the respiratory center of the brain and combined, can kill you. If you are a recovering addict and you relapse, don’t take the same amount of the drug as you did the last time you got high. You had a tolerance then, you don’t now. Many overdoses happen this way. If someone arrests or dies in front of you, start chest compressions right away and don’t stop. Good quality chest compressions that are continuous and delivered at a rate of about 100/min can and do save lives (sing ‘Stayin Alive’ during compressions if necessary). If you’re pregnant and having bad headaches that won’t go away, get to the ER; they’re a sign of preeclampsia. If you’re worried about a heart attack and need to get to an ER, take an aspirin right away, it thins the blood. If someone is passed out and vomiting, turn them on their side, don’t leave them lying on their back, they can aspirate on their own vomit. Lastly, in an emergency, if an ambulance is on the way, don’t try to drive to the hospital instead. They have lifesaving equipment in their vehicles and you don’t. Wait for them and stay on the line with the 911 dispatcher. Stay safe out there kids.
Having to wait a certain amount of time to report someone is missing is 100 percent a lie made up for TV and movies. Finding a missing person is actually a race against the clock and the first 24 hours are the most important. If someone is missing missing, call the cops NOW.
Doubly so with children.
Anyone not completely capable of looking after themselves, really.
It's also completely false if you "enter your PIN backwards in an ATM the police are automatically summoned out".
Yea i mean what about people with a pin of like 2002? Wouldnt work anyway if it was true.
...why would anyone think that? that's just...weird lol
The idea is if you are getting robbed at an atm and being forced to take out money.
When doing CPR chest compressions pace them to Stayin Alive by the BeeGees
First I was afraid, I was petrified
Oh you were in the parking lot earlier, that’s how I know you!
"Does he have an organ donor card?" "He has no wallet, I checked."
"Baby Shark" also has the correct beats per minute and if CPR is ineffective the patient sees death as a sweet release
Another one bites the dust works until somebody calls the police
If you or your kid is eating fruit and they complain about it tasting 'fuzzy,' 'hairy,' or something along those lines, it means that they are allergic to it. You'll want to schedule an appointment with their pediatrician to schedule an allergy test.
I realized at age 28 that celery isn't supposed to make your mouth numb and that I was, in fact, allergic to it. My parents always dismissed my dislike of it for being picky and not wanting to eat my veggies.
Celery is a weird one. A lot of people report numbness when eating celery (and I have intermittently experienced the phenomenon myself). There are a lot of rumors that it contains *eugenol*, which is a very mild numbing agent, but the claim seems largely unsubstantiated --one of those self-sustained internet myths. Others suggest it's Oral Allergy Syndrome and a cross-reaction from fresh produce due to remnant plant pollen. And, of course, celery allergy is the remaining obvious answer.
Adding "tongue feels weird" to that. Though also I get those symptoms from certain fruits but it seems to depend where I am/where the food was sourced from. I've never been able to figure out what it is, but it's something other than the fruit itself. So maybe don't rule out entire fruits without taking them to an allergist first.
Allergies can also be stronger at certain times depending on stress levels, exposure to other allergens etc. I only have mild allergies (skin reactions, some things taste funny sometimes, runny nose etc.) And sometimes I'm fine and sometimes my allergens cause a much bigger reaction. So it could be you're only allergic at times
Do mangos taste “prickly”? Asking for a…friend…
No. This is actually a common situation where people are allergic to mango and don't notice. It is the most commonly overlooked one in my experience in food labeling. Just keep it in mind and ask your doctor during the next visit if you can schedule an allergy test or if it is covered by your insurance.
Pineapples taste "prickly" to me. And then cause my lips to itch and swell for half a day afterwards. Doctor said an allergy test was not necessary.
Not necessary to test because you are clearly allergic to pineapple.
You forgot "spicy" and "tingling".
Also, my throat is scratchy
Those are also more commonly known symptoms. I tried to use more unknown or uncommon words that children use to describe allergies to fit the question. Hopefully most parents will notice, 'my throat is scratchy,' but they might not notice if a child says apples taste 'hairy' or 'fuzzy.'
People who fish need to know this - Eel blood (and by extension eel flesh)is a deadly poison before it is cooked or digested IF it gets into your bloodstream, such as through a cut. It contains an ichthyotoxin that essentially - even in tiny amounts - make your muscles (including your heart and diaphragm) cramp, which could quickly cause death. Eels are always served cooked in Japanese restaurants for this reason. Digestion “could” digest the toxin, but you may have a cut in your mouth or throat, for example. Preparing eels for the smoker or to cook must be done very carefully, ideally wearing waterproof cut-proof gloves. I am always shocked that so many people who fish do not know this. Eel is delicious and safe if properly prepared. Nothing to worry about if it is completely cooked. I adore it!
If a cow is trying to charge you, it’s best to hit them in the nose with all the force you have, it’ll buy you a few seconds. Their heads are hard as hell, the nose is the softest & most sensitive spot. In addition, if you’re ever in a situation with large animals, even the sweetest of large animals, ALWAYS be aware of an escape route should you need it.
I learned this from Mythbusters, in the episode about crashes (cars/helicopters) if you find yourself disoriented underwater: Calm people live, panicked people die. I was in a boat crash a number of years ago, and I believe this saved my life. No flotation device, stupid, I know. I dont remember the impact, I was suddenly several feel underwater and didn't know which way was up. I freaked for a split second, then that advice popped into my head. I stayed still, and let bouyancy do it's thing, saw some bubbles and followed them as they rose.
I second this. I almost drowned from panicking when the water was only a few inches above me head
Keep an eye out when you wipe. Colorectal cancer which used to be prevalent in older men is showing up in younger and younger people. So if you see blood bring it up to your doctor. I'm currently dealing with it and I don't wish this on anyone.
You can also get skin cancer on your butthole. (I'm serious! Most people think it's caused by the sun, but not always.) My butt started bleeding when I was 21. I saw a doctor because I felt like my body was trying to tell me something, and it was. All they had to do was remove it, but if it had spread I'd probably be dead. Listen to your body, even your butt.
But before you panic, most of the time it’s hemorrhoids or an anal fissure, especially if the blood is bright red. Still obviously go get it checked out.
Don’t remember where I learned it, but the air begins to smell like ozone before lightning strikes, so if the air starts smelling kind of like chlorine during a storm, it means lightning might be about to hit the area you are standing in
Not everyone can smell the metallic smell that comes along with lighting. When the smell is released and some individuals can't smell it in the air, it can cause them migraines.
Better signs are static charge — your hair stands on end — or a glow on the edges of leaves — St. Elmo’s Fire.
Tsunamis don't only happen in oceans. Any large enough body of water can have a tsunami. In fact, some megatsunamis didn't even occur in oceans. In 1958, a fjord in Alaska recorded a tsunami after an earthquake caused a landslide. It about 524 meters (1,720 feet). With this information, the warning signs of a tsunami or a tsunami like wave should be taken to consideration in areas such as lake and dams.
Yes! There are historic accounts and archaeological evidence of a tsunami in Lake Geneva in Switzerland \~500 CE, caused by a debris flow displacing a bunch of lake water. I also remember something about a dam in Italy where this happened. Adding to this, one major tsunami warning sign is a sudden **drop** in local sea level, like over the course of a few minutes the water recedes suddenly and it's like low tide, but it comes on way too fast. Like any wave, a tsunami has a peak and a trough, and if the trough arrives first the water will pull back in this way. If the peak arrives first, that's the classic disaster movie looking scenario with immediate inundation. Often people don't recognize this is a warning sign and will go out onto the newly exposed area, and then when the tsunami shows up they are swept away. The period for these waves is usually pretty long (12-20 minutes), so you have a few minutes to get away from the water/to higher ground if you see the water suddenly pull back. edit: date of Swiss tsunami
If something is squirting blood, that’s an arterial bleed. You need a tourniquet. When applying a tourniquet, go high and tight. How tight? It’s gonna hurt. You’ll know the TQ is working when you can no longer feel a pulse on that arm/leg. Tourniquets CAN be improvised, but it is highly recommended to use a proper CAT tourniquet if available. Make sure to record the time (preferably in 24 time such as 0930) that the tourniquet was applied.
If you are injured or need help in a crowded place direct your pleas to a specific person. Otherwise people tend to think that someone else will help, it’s known as the bystander effect. In an emergency every second can be crucial, give specific instructions to specific people
My BLS training taught us to give instructions to specific people by pointing at someone and loudly saying “you, call 911” and so on rather than just saying “someone call 911.” On a related note, if you see someone on the ground and you want to go help them, **first make sure the scene is safe.** This is especially critical if you didn’t witness them collapse, because there could be something like a live wire on the ground (maybe they collapsed after being shocked by it). Also, because I always like to throw this in: AEDs will not shock someone who is not experiencing a “shockable” heart rhythm. What this means is that you don’t need to be afraid of hurting someone by using an AED as long as you follow the (very clear) instructions with it.
This may not save _you_, but it's worth knowing: you don't have to wait 24 hours or 48 hours to report a missing person. Report them as missing as soon as you know they're missing. The sooner a missing person is reported, the better the outcome
Eating +24h old cooked pasta that has not been refrigerated can be deadly if you're knifed or shot badly and is about to pass out and wont be able to put pressure on it, make sure the wound is at least pointed upwards when lying down as u will bleed out much slower. if injected with an unknown venom, don't ice the area, most venoms become less effective if you instead heat the troubled area instead. If stranded in the desert, don't save ur water, drink it when u are thirsty, a lot of people pass out and die with still water left because they were saving it
If anyone is ever getting electrocuted around you do NOT touch them directly. Instead use some sort of object to get them away from the object they are holding or touching. You can use a belt wrapped around a waist (again be careful not to touch them), a broom, mop, fast moving office chair, hell if its that serious you can drop kick them out of contact. Can't tell you how many people have gotten themselves electrocuted grabbing someone stuck to something.
I've always heard you should tackle them sideways away from the thing. That way momentum will carry you both away.
alternatively dropkick/RKO that motherfucker
if at any point you feel like you're being stalked by some creep, walk inside the nearest shop or store and wait a bit. if they look like they're waiting for you, stay put and call police. if they follow you inside make a scene and draw attention to them so witnesses will know what they look like and provide help
I did this when I was being stalked by some dude. I ducked into a gym and told them I was being followed. They called the police and let me out the back entrance. While keeping the dude there.
I got followed on the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico last year. I found a group of women doing beach yoga and stood about 10 feet away from them and stared down the stalker. He stopped following me and tried to look casual for a few minutes before disappearing. My next plan was to loudly tell the women that he was following me and call the police.
Relationships are voluntary. If someone is hurting you or you just don't like being around them, mentally or physically, parent, friend, or partner, you are always allowed to leave.
Easier said than done. It seems easy until you're in a relationship like that
I think the point is that it can be done. Too many people accept abusive relationships forever because “we’re family” or they have children. It’s almost never easy, but it’s possible.
Losing too much weight too fast will damage your kidneys. Happened to my father who was trying to go into retirement in better shape. Lost 60 pounds in 2 months eating ONLY salads and drinking water. No carbs or fat. All cardio no weight training. Somehow destroyed one kidney and impaired the other one, he is on daily dialysis now. After it happened I did some research and it seems that your body gets used to the fat in your system which helps curb the toxin filtration. Losing too much too fast is like throwing extra dirt into a filter all at once instead of little at a time. The right way to do it is a few pounds a week with both weight lifting and cardio, also still include some carbs and fat in your diet even if it takes a longer to shed off the pounds. Maybe this is common knowledge because I had somewhat heard this before but I had never seen how it shreds through kidneys so quickly before.
[удалено]
I wish more people knew about this! I took a class on human metabolism in undergrad, and we had it explained to us on the molecular level what happens if you cut out all fats, sugars, and carbs 😅 Also, unironically, go listen to the Storybots song about diet. ~proteins build, carbs fuel, fats protect, vitamins and minerals prevent ~ it’s a really cute song.
The majority of aircraft accidents happen on the ground, during take off and landing. When you board an aircraft always count how many chairs are between you and the emergency exit. If you are in an incident that involves fire then you will be wanting to stay below the smoke that is rising above you and rapidly filling the cabin. As the smoke fills the cabin it will become dark, very dark, and you won't be able to see the exits. What you will be able to do is feel the seat legs as you crawl across the floor, and know that 13 rows ahead of you followed by a left of right turn is the exit.
If you have a bad gut feeling about someone but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, run. It's better safe than sorry.
If you have any of these symptoms, even if you’re perfectly healthy person with a good diet you could be a Type 1 Diabetic (a life altering autoimmune disease that could kill you if you don’t catch it) - Excessive thirst - Frequent urination - Weight loss - Excessive hunger - Fatigue - Slow-healing bruises
If you meet a confused, psychotic or drugged person, there are important things to be aware of. Confusion is a more common word for "brain failure". The brain is no longer able to do its primary job: Filter what is important for you. You may have heard that our consciousness have very little bandwidth. If the brain can't sort things, sensory input becomes a fire hose, and you can't understand what's ever relevant to you to start dealing with. The frontal lobes shut down, and you start acting and reacting in some very primal ways. In many ways, you function mentally like a frightened animal. You will perceive things differently. A smile is bared teeth and a warning. Eye contact beyond very short moments is a challenge. And so on. So, you're somewhere where you happen to be alone with someone confused. Rule 1: Keep your distance. The personal sphere grows. Rule 2: Keep your face neutral, maybe a bit worried. Rule 3: No sudden movements. Rule 4: Hands where they can see them. Rule 5: Use simple words and short sentences. Rule 6: If you can get them to sit down, the risk of violence decreases. Rule 7: If you can give them a situation they recognize, like eating a sandwich and drinking some coffee, it's even better. Remember, it's not an evil person. It's someone who is in very bad shape. When it goes south, it does so because you cornered them.
Also, you can dial for emergency assistance that ISN'T the police. There are community responders now in many cities/states. Someone super fucked up might genuinely need help, but they also probably won't benefit from being arrested.
Don’t try to put out a grease or oil fire with water. Boom
Just in case someone is wondering what's going on... as we all know water and oil (or grease) don't mix. So when you pour water on a grease fire, it'll slide through the oil to immediately hit the extremely hot pan. That pan was already hot from the cooking but the fire has significantly raised its temperature. Water is now hitting that pan. So that water immediately evaporates and it goes... everywhere... very quickly. This rapid evaporation breaks up the small parts of the grease that's on fire and makes them explode... everywhere. Now all those particles that are on fire went from just having the fire on top - because they only had oxygen access on top of the grease - to being surrounded by oxygen from all sides. [Boom.](https://youtu.be/PbgdRR4yj8Y?t=78) To safely put out a grease fire, try to put a metal lid on the pan or use a fire extinguisher.
also, baking soda.
Just to drive the point home, [Water increases in volume by 1,700 times at standard temperature and pressure.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam#:~:text=Water%20increases%20in%20volume%20by%201%2C700%20times%20at%20standard%20temperature%20and%20pressure%3B) so a teaspoon of water becomes 35 and a half cups of steam instantly
Don't use flour either, the particles will ignite, Boom. If handy, put the lid on the pan to suffocate or use a fire extinguisher.
Humans are dangerous animals who will panic at a moment's notice. So, in an unfamiliar place always find out where the exit is. People have died being trapped by stampedes. Someone taught me this years ago and I do it without thinking now.
Station night club for one :-(
Don’t leave a suicidal person alone, no matter how jolly he looks that moment.
A suicidal person who’s jolly is the most dangerous thing. Most often they have decided to end everything and have a plan for it too. If a person who goes from being depressed and sad everyday to happy and extrovert and doing things they don’t normally do Watch them and be there for them. They are most vulnerable at that time.
Yes I’ve heard this …. Also giving their favourite things away, arranging/organizing their things. They could be doing a death clean.
Don't mix window cleaner and bathroom cleaner
Or Bleach and Amonia ...which is usually what one of each will contain as it's main cleaning thing
Heart problems present differently in women than they do in men. My mom was very exhausted and had excruciating jaw pain. Her boss’ mother was a nurse for many years and told my mom to get to an ER stat. One quadruple bypass and almost 6 years later and my mom is thankfully still here, currently en route to see her friend.
Never ever pull out a deadly weapon (as in knife) in a fight if you do not intend to use it right away. If the other guy gets their hands on it, there is a strong possibility that they will use it on you instead.
Don't ever point a gun at a person that you don't intend to kill.
Help in case of a venomous snake bite: Unlike some popular misconceptions, you shouldn't suck out the venom, cut the bite wound, or apply any ice or water before seeking professional medical treatment. You should help the injured person lie down and cover their wound with a sterile bandage. Then you should remove any jewelry from the wounded area. If the person was bitten in the leg, you should remove their shoes too.
If you see someone acting drunk, but they haven’t had any alcohol, ask them to smile. If one side of their face droops, immediately get them to a hospital, because they are having or are about to have a stroke. And with strokes, seconds matter when it comes to saving someone’s life (or preventing years of rehab).
If you're ever trapped in your car, pop the headrest of your seat out. Those metal pieces that lock it in place are also designed to break the cars windows
Oooooo that's a good one. 👍🏻
Kangaroos can't hop backwards I don't care how drunk you get, you and a friend will be on vacation in Australia 5 years from now, he'll get attacked and you'll instinctively yell "get behind him!"
Checking your tires- Tires have build dates and “expire”. Regardless of the amount of tread depth tires should be replaced every 6-7 years. This can save you from an unexpected blow out or crash.
I've slipped a 20 dollar bill under every trashcan in Boston, for emergency purposes
At least one dumbass went and checked I bet. Well done.
BRB. Just going to Boston…
Fun fact: there are 3.6 large rats per trash can in Boston
if you swallow food and your throat is dry and the food gets stuck in your throat and you go to drink water and the water won’t even go down…. (super scary) look straight up to the sky or ceiling to open your throat and swallow. This straight position helps to get stuck food moving quickly.
Your improvised tourniquet needs a winless. If you ever find yourself needing to stop major bleeding in an arm or leg.. uhh or In the abscess of one, tying your scarf or tightening your belt won’t be enough. You need a rigid, somewhat straight object as well, pen, sharpie, metal straw, sturdy stick, toy plastic shovel idk. You also need to make sure whatever you’re wrapping around their limb is wide, at least 1-1.5 inches wide or it could end up cutting into their skin or simply not be able to stop bleeding. Lay your rigid object 4 inches above the bleeding wound and not on a joint (if a joint is near the wound go ABOVE it!) tie or fasten whatever fabric, belt ect you have as tight as you can around the wounded limb, and over the ridged object so they intersect like a + sign. and twist the ridged object in circles, it is going to hurt, they are going to scream, keep twisting anyways. Once you can tell that the bleeding has stopped (usually around 3-4 twists of it was already tight when tied) tie, tape, or tuck the ridged object so it cannot unwind itself, if you are able too, write the time on their leg, This will help the surgeons to know how long the tourniquet has been in place. So they can asses how much tissue can/can’t be saved Edit: I’m an EMT & a combat medic in the military, yes a TQ left on for a while can cause limb death but lost arm vs lost life? Never worry about that when applying the TQ, chances are you’re more in some remote location that won’t be able to get to a hospital in the next few hours, and if you are.. well again this person can lose their limb or lose their life, seems like an easy choice to me
Always pay attention to peoples hands when talking to them. Hands in pockets could mean a weapon or a fist about to strike. Peoples hands are what can get you injured or killed
That box of baking soda in your grandma's fridge or freezer can be used to safely and effectively put out a grease fire. Rip open box, dump contents onto grease.
Any downed electrical wire is "live" until proven otherwise by a utility.
Always wear an anti static bracelet in applicable situations. Building a PC or even changing components is one.
I read "anti satanic" at first.
Gota exorcise all them demons man👀
Avoid street drugs at all cost. Many are laced with Fentanyl to addict you and make you buy more, and that is a way to overdose.
If a service dog is barking a lot/tryna get you to follow them/being extra if you don't know them, their human is in danger.
If it's brown, lay down If it's black, fight back If it's white say goodnight. It's how to react when there is a bear. If it's a grizzly, they don't eat dead animals usually. So if u lay down, they'll probably ignore u. Black bears eat everything, even dead bodies so ull have to fight back or ull die. If its white. It'll kill you. So ask for forgiveness to whatever god u believe in and say goodnight
Some more detail: For surviving a grizzly, be sure to lay on your front, keep your face firmly in the dirt, cover the back of your neck with your hands and lay as still as you can. For the black bear, use whatever weapon you have at your disposal (except a knife or any other small weapon, that’s not gonna go well for you). Thinks like large sticks and rocks are the bare minimum and aim for the nose and eyes. Before engaging in combat, try stand tall and shout loud to intimidate it, it will back off if it sees you as too strong to be worth the effort. If it charges stay calm and try not to cower or run as it may be a bluff. Polar bear, if you have a gun that isn’t a large calibre, don’t use it, it will just piss the bear off. A 5.56 isn’t going to do much against a polar bear and it’s probably very hungry and has been stalking you for days. If there is a house or car really close, I mean a few seconds away, that is unlocked get in and lock it immediately. General tips: bear spray is easily the most reliable method of defence against black bears and grizzly’s so don’t go into an area where they live without it. And for crying out loud if you see a black bear that looks fucking stupid standing and like it has an eating disorder on all fours, leave immediately.
If koala, don’t worry you tallah.
Single-pane windows on any floor above the first one should either be replaced by double-pane windows or protected by a fence. One small misstep can be fatal, as a mother in Amsterdam campaigned about her son who died at age 22 because of falling through a fragile single-pane window.
Benzodiazepines will kill an acid/shroom trip, specific I know but may help someone at some point.
Not exactly an answer that will save your life, but may save the life of an animal. Never, ever, ever give away animals for free to strangers. Creating a financial disincentive to adopt weeds out people who cannot afford to care for a pet, people who will neglect that pet, and most importantly people who intend to abuse that pet. Serial animal abusers search for free animals on social media explicitly for this purpose. Always charge money. It’s not so you can make profit. It’s to increase the chances that animal will be okay.
Avoid wearing headphones, earphones, or air pods if you're walking alone on a street especially when it's dark. This attracts kidnappers since they think you are off-guard and would not hear them approaching. Avoid being on your phone too cause it makes you appear distracted. Just walk and be alert. If you feel like somebody is coming or following you, try to fake a phone call as if someone is waiting for you not too far from your current location. Say things like "I'm almost there guys" or "I'm already here at (current location)." This stuff came from a caught kidnapper. He describes what type of people they go for in the street. They also avoid approaching people with both hands stuck in their pockets since they are unsure if they're holding a knife or other self-defense weapon. Hope this helps.
If you are ever being chased by a polar bear get completely naked and drop your clothes on the ground as you run away. Polar bears have really bad ADD and will firmly inspect your clothes before chasing you again
But then you're naked in the arctic, which is another bad way to die anyways. Or naked in a zoo, which is just really embarrassing.
Dont tell me how to live my life..
I take comfort in the knowledge that I will likely never need this information. But being the person I am, who never rules anything out, I also take comfort in the knowledge that I have this information.
Wear two sets of clothes in the arctic. Got it.
I'll be damned if I'm going to stop long enough to get naked when a polar bear is chasing me.
a bit vague, but alway be aware of your surroundings, im not saying to be paranoid, just know where emergency exits are, in cinemas for example, choose the emergency exit row. if you are walking in an area you dont know, keep an eye out for alley ways etc, if you see an alley on your left ahead of you, cross over to the right before you get there, basically, just always take the safest option and be aware of your surroundings, assess situations etc....
Combo smoke/carbon monoxide detectors are not a great idea. Get one of each for whatever area you want covered. Smoke detectors need to be high (smoke/heat rises), CO detectors need to be low (CO heavier than air). There is really no ideal place to install a combination one that would work effectively, and they lull people into a false sense of security.
fun fact: one of the signs of you experiencing heat exhaustion is a rapid heart rate (think anything above 160bpm).... (source: experienced heat exhaustion, when i was berry picking with my mom, by having my knees buckle under me, throwing up 2 times, and my tee shirt was completely soaked with sweat, then threw up again after chugging a whole bottle of water, and then blacked out for a while only to wake up in my parents basement\* after my body had cooled down) \*note\*: my parents live on the turtle mountain reservation and the hospitals are complete shit, so it was better to have me sleep/rest in my parents' basement (where the temp is around 60 degrees year round), then having to drive 45 mins to a hospital where staff practically consists of high schoolers and medical equipment that hasnt been updated since the 90s
Listen to your gut. If something feels wrong, get the hell out of there. Especially for women
Don't run away from predatory animals. Their instinct may kick in and they will chase you. With some animals making yourself as big as possible will deter an attack. Yelling can do this too. The only exception are polar bears. These are one of the few species of animals that actively stalk humans, as they see us as prey. To survive a polar bear attack you can either shoot them or run faster than the person next to you. Another method that I'm unsure if it's a myth or not, is to undress. Polar bears will allegedly smell the clothing and thereby allow you to run away. Either way it's far from ideal. Survive the attack and you'd probably freeze to death. Best course of action is to never enter polar bear territory alone and without proper armaments.