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In any profession, you learn new things on the job every day. For healthcare workers, these lessons are often the kind that can make a real difference: sometimes even save lives.
Whether it's how to react quickly, what not to do in a panic, or which home remedies to avoid, real-world experience counts. That’s why listening to advice from seasoned professionals is so important, especially in medical situations where timing and knowledge truly matter.
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To better understand how to handle everyday emergencies, Bored Panda spoke with Dr. Alka Pradhan, a general physician who has been running her own clinic in Mumbai for over 30 years. With decades of experience treating everything from small injuries to sudden illnesses, Dr. Pradhan has seen firsthand how misinformation and delays can turn minor issues into serious problems. Her advice? Don’t wait for things to get worse, act smart and act early.
“Listen to your doctor,” she says simply. “They definitely know better than you, especially in medical situations where things can escalate quickly.” While she understands people have access to endless advice online, she emphasizes the importance of sticking to verified medical guidance. “What works for one person on social media may not work or be safe for someone else.”
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Leaving the object in place will let it act like a stopper in the hole. If you remove it, all you're doing is letting blood and other important stuff leak out. That is the opposite of helpful.
That goes double for the eyeball. If you ever see someone with a punctured eyeball, for the love of God do not pull anything out. Blindfold the other eye to stop the victim from looking around, and then keep your d**n hands to yourself. A surgeon might just possibly be able to save the sight in the eye, as long as you don't yank the stopper and let all the important contents ooze out.
She points out that people often rush to apply home remedies without fully understanding the risks. “Take turmeric, for example,” she says. “It has its uses, but putting it directly on a cut without cleaning the wound properly can lead to infections. People think it’s healing, but they’re actually making things worse.” Her message is clear: when in doubt, ask a professional before acting.
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If you witness a motor vehicle accident, please stay and give the police a report of what you witnessed.
If you have ANY first aid training, for heaven sakes Use It, but never try and go beyond your level of training.
Never move an injured person, unless their life is in immediate danger. ( I actually witnessed a bystander grab a car accident victim by the arm and yank her out of her wreaked car.)
Call 911, stay on the phone and give the operator as much information as you can.
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Seriously. Take a few seconds to make sure that you don't become the next casualty. Those few seconds are unlikely to mean the difference between life and death. Except possibly for you.
Heros die first. It's a natural law.
For common burns, like when someone touches a hot pan or spills boiling water, Dr. Pradhan advises immediate action. “Run the affected area under cool, not ice-cold water for 15 to 20 minutes,” she explains. “Don’t apply toothpaste or butter, no matter what your neighbor says. These can trap heat and lead to complications.”
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When attending a car accident you MUST check to see if the airbag has deployed before touching any casualty. If you don't see white dust and a deflated bag on any of the seats (even check the back) then never lean over to help. If the air bag deploys it will k**l you and the casualty.
If you want to administer first aid then only put your arms in. Even then if it deploys that s**t will snap horribly - very nasty breaks.
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The wreck is not over. Other people are still driving by at 70mph and aren't paying attention.
Clear a space for a stretcher. It's bigger than you think.
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If you sprain your ankle or wrist, her tip is easy to remember: RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. “Apply ice for 15 minutes at a time, keep the area elevated, and don’t overuse it. That gives the swelling a chance to go down,” she adds. “People often skip the resting part, but it’s the most important.”
In case of a fall, whether from a ladder or staircase, Dr. Pradhan warns against quick movements. “If the person is unconscious or you suspect a neck or back injury, don’t try to lift them. Call emergency services and keep them still,” she says. Moving someone incorrectly can worsen internal injuries or spinal damage.
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Also, if someone is having a seizure, do not stick anything in their f*****g mouth. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a possible bitten tongue turn into a choking emergency because of idiots who think they're being a hero by giving them a makeshift "bite stick." The person will be thankful for couple stitches in the tongue rather than a hole in their neck or a tube down their throat from us.
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Your local ER, especially if you live in an inner city urban area, is overflowing with people who have chronic back pains, blisters on their feet, a soreness in their back or shoulders, stomach indigestion, runny noses, or ear aches.
For the love of god do not call an ambulance for anything you think can wait a day to be seen for.
Another common scenario she sees? People faint due to low sugar or dehydration. “If someone faints, don’t splash water on their face or shake them. Make sure they’re lying down with their legs slightly elevated, and let them recover slowly. If they don’t regain consciousness quickly, get help immediately.”
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My little sister died from a tragic heart attack in the car. Her friends panicked and drove to the nearest hospital 20 minutes away. Had they pulled over and called 911 the paramedics would have arrived faster and she could possibly be alive.
Also if you are a bystander, don't try to help the paramedics or tell them to hurry up. Paramedics are trained to assess a situation first for safety. Standing off to the side and yelling at them to hurry up won't help.
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If you are about to go and help people involved in the emergency, point at some *specifically*, identify them by something physical or name, and tell them to call 911 and then come back. "You in the white hat, call 911 and come back!". Now at least someone is accountable and has a direct command to follow in case their brain shuts down.
If you cannot help the situation (everythings on fire, you don't know how to handle injury), then YOU call 911. No exceptions. Even if the guy next to you is on the phone, that doesn't mean he's calling the police. He could be telling his wife he'll be late to dinner because of the incident (seriously). Call 911 and return to the scene (as a witness, extra hand, etc. leaving is BAD). It's better that a dispatcher gets 5 calls of the same incident than zero.