Whether you’re planning an outdoor family adventure or sending the kids off to camp, staying safe with natural first aid remedies should be your number one priority.

It’s always a good idea to pack a standard first-aid kit for minor cuts and injuries. However, it’s good to know there are natural ways to treat some outdoor ailments and injuries.

Being prepared can help you make the best of an unexpected situation.

Here are some of the most common outdoor-related ailments and injuries, along with the best ways to prevent them and natural remedies that can help provide symptom relief.

Sunburn

Prevention:Wear a large-brimmed hat and light, long-sleeved clothing. Be sure to apply a mineral-based UVA/UVB sun lotion to any areas exposed to the sun.

Treatment:Apply aloe vera gel to soothe a sunburn and try taking a short soak in cold water to help stop the burning process.

Dehydration/Heat Illness

Prevention: It’s important to stay hydrated and well fueled. This helps your body regulate temperature properly.

Treatment: Dehydration can lead to electrolyte loss, so pack dried apples and raisins for potassium, along with water and either electrolyte powder or sports drinks that contain electrolytes.

Becoming dehydrated can also lead toheat illness,which is marked by higher-than-normal body temperature, rapid heart rate, dizziness and headache; get into shade, drink water and use ice packs to reduce your temperature.

Signs of severe heat illness, or heatstroke, include dry, reddened skin along with confusion and slurred speech; this is a medical emergency—call 911.

Sprains and Strains

Prevention: Make sure you and your kids are wearing good athletic shoes when hiking or engaging in other outdoor activities. Support footwear goes a long way in protecting from sprains and strains.

Treatment:Soak a sprained ankle or wrist in a cold stream or lake, or ice it for 10 minutes every two to four hours.

Insect Bites

Prevention:Wear lightweight, breathable clothing; tuck your pants into your socks to prevent tick bites. Be sure to use bug spray, preferably one with a natural base of essential oils such as citronella and lemongrass, to keep bugs away.

Treatment: Mix oatmeal and water to form a paste; apply to the bite for 10 minutes before washing it off. If the skin is broken, tea tree oil works as an antifungal and antibacterial agent. Just dilute it by adding one drop to some lotion or cooking oil.

Plant-Caused Rashes

Prevention:Wear light, long-sleeved clothing and tuck your pant legs into your socks.

Treatment:Aloe helps to soothe the itchiness. To help dry out the rash, try covering it with mud (it really works!) or make a paste of one part baking soda to three parts water.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner is strongly advised, before starting any regimen of supplementation, a change in diet or any exercise routine.  Individuals who engage in supplementation to promote health, address conditions or support any structure or function of the body assume all risks.  Women who are pregnant, especially, should seek the advice of a medical doctor before taking any dietary supplement and before starting any change in diet or lifestyle. Descriptions of herbs, vitamins, nutrients or any ingredients are not recommendations to take our products or those of any other company. We are not doctors or primary-source science researchers. Instead, we defer to the findings of scientific experts who conduct studies, as well as those who compile and publish scientific literature on the potential health benefits of nutrients, herbs, spices, vitamins or minerals. We cannot guarantee that any individual will experience any of the health benefits associated with the nutrients described. Natural Organics will not be held liable for any injuries, damages, hinderances or negative effects resulting from any reliance on the information presented, nor will Natural Organics be held accountable for any inaccuracy, miscalculation or error in the scientific literature upon which the information provided is based.