First Aid
The acronym R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, which is the standard formula used to treat this common ankle or wrist injury.
What is a sprain?
This ingredient, heavily found in sodas, candy, and energy drinks, causes a massive spike in your blood sugar followed by a severe energy crash later.
What is sugar?
This state of emotional and physical exhaustion happens when you face long-term, unmanaged stress from school, sports, or life.
What is burnout?
This 3-letter acronym stands for medications you can buy right off the store shelf without a doctor's note, like Ibuprofen or Tylenol.
What is OTC? (Over-The-Counter)
If you have a non-life-threatening medical issue over the weekend—like a sprained ankle or a bad sore throat—you should go to this type of clinic instead of a crowded, expensive Emergency Room.
What is Urgent Care?
If you get a minor burn from a hot stove or curling iron, you should immediately run it under this kind of water—never ice or ice water, which can damage the tissue further.
What is cool (or lukewarm) water?
To calculate the actual amount of calories or sugar you are consuming from a package, you must look at the very top of the label and multiply the numbers by this specific metric.
What is the number of servings per container?
This natural, free daily function is when your brain clears out toxins and resets its emotional baseline; teenagers strictly need 8 to 10 hours of it.
What is sleep?
This specific section on a medicine bottle or box tells you exactly how much to take, how often to take it, and the maximum amount allowed in 24 hours.
What is the Directions (or Dosage) section?
This is the fixed, flat fee (such as $20 or $30) that you are required to pay out-of-pocket at the doctor's office or pharmacy before your insurance covers the rest of the visit.
What is a copay?
When treating a severely bleeding cut, you should apply steady, firm pressure with a clean cloth rather than pulling the cloth away to check on it, which ruins this natural plugging process.
What is clotting?
Headaches, muscle cramps, dizziness, and dark-colored urine are all early warning signs that your body is suffering from this condition.
What is dehydration?
Journaling, exercising, talking to a friend, or practicing deep breathing are all healthy examples of these types of strategies used to manage stress.
What are coping mechanisms (or coping strategies)?
This type of potent medication is prescribed by a doctor specifically to kill bacterial infections, and it will not work against a viral cold or the flu.
What is an antibiotic?
This is the annual amount of money you must pay for your own medical care out-of-pocket before your health insurance company starts paying for your medical bills.
What is a deductible?
This is the medical term for a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause a person’s throat to swell shut, requiring an immediate injection from an EpiPen.
What is anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock)?
This specific type of fat, often found in fried foods and packaged baked goods, is considered the most dangerous because it raises bad cholesterol and clogs your arteries.
What is trans fat?
While sadness is a normal reaction to life events, this medical condition is diagnosed when a person experiences an overwhelming, persistent low mood that lasts for more than two consecutive weeks.
What is clinical depression?
This is the term for an unexpected or unwanted reaction to a drug, such as drowsiness, dizziness, or nausea, which is always listed under the "Warnings" label.
What is a side effect?
This type of doctor is your main medical contact for regular checkups, physicals, and treating everyday illnesses before you get sent to a specialist.
What is a Primary Care Physician? (PCP / Family Doctor)
If a person is showing signs of heat stroke—such as confusion, a rapid pulse, and hot, dry skin—you must cool them down immediately because, unlike heat exhaustion, they have stopped doing this vital bodily function.
What is sweating?
This metric, found on nutrition labels as "% DV," tells you how much a single serving of food contributes to your overall daily diet based on a standard 2,000-calorie intake.
What is Percent Daily Value?
This is the psychological term for the body's primitive, automatic survival response that floods your system with adrenaline when you perceive danger or severe stress.
What is a trauma response? or What is Fight or Flight?
When a pharmacy gives you a prescription, they include an information sheet listing "Contraindications." This term means things you should never do while taking the drug, most commonly doing this action.
What is taking it with certain other medications/substances (or drinking alcohol/driving)?
Passed in 1996, this federal law (often referred to by a 5-letter acronym) legally prevents doctors and clinics from sharing your private medical records with anyone else without your explicit permission.
What is HIPAA? (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)