How to handle a health emergency During a natural disaster

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HOUSTON, TX — When to get help from medical care, especially if the medical emergency occurred during a natural disaster? Here's a simple two steps that you can use to determine if the situation needs immediate care:

1. Check if the situation is genuinely an emergency

Look up to signs and situation that indicates a state of emergency. Some following signs that indicate an emergency are:

• Chest pain that lasts two minutes or more
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Symptoms of stroke (sudden dizziness, vision changes, difficulty speaking, confusion, and weakness, especially on one side)
• Unstoppable bleeding
• Sudden or severe pain, and more

If one of these symptoms occurs, you might consider getting immediate help by calling the nearest hospital or medical care. Delaying the action might worsen the case and putting your health condition at severe risk.

2. Drive to the hospital, or call an ambulance.

When you require immediate treatment, it's best to call the ambulance. However, when the situation is unclear, make sure to check the surroundings to see whether you're able to drive by yourself or not.

Some condition as high winds, flooded road, road debris, and broken traffic lights might slow down your traffic. If you get stuck, dial 911 or the nearest medical help around you.

In case immediate treatment is not needed, you can treat the minor injuries yourself. For example, you can treat minor cuts by stopping the bleeding and disinfect the wound using water to minimize the injury. When you're experiencing mild illness, consuming over-the-counter medicine could help to decrease the risks.

It doesn't mean you can always brush minor injuries aside, though. Always monitor your health condition afterward and consider dialing 911 or any medical help if the situation gets worse.

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