13 Little-Known Facts That Can Save Your Life One Day

Many injuries and even deaths could have been avoided if people had known how to behave correctly in critical situations. Sometimes, knowing a simple fact can increase your chances for survival or help save someone’s life. A Reddit user asked this question, “What’s an ‘unknown’ fact that could save your life?” And people’s answers inspired us to prepare this useful article.

We at Bright Side analyzed situations where a person’s life can depend on their actions and we want to present a plan of action that could help you survive.

1. Encountering an aggressive bear

Of course, it’s best to avoid bears in the wild, but if an encounter happens, you should know that the weakest skill of this animal is its maneuverability. Bears run very fast and crawl really well — but moving quickly around an object like a car or a tree is much harder for them. Sooner or later, the animal will give up trying to catch you seeing that this smart food (you) is not worth its energy.

However, don’t panic before a bear starts to act aggressively. If it’s just looking at you, stand still. There is a chance it won’t even understand who you are and what you are going to do. If it starts walking toward you slowly, walk backward slowly. Bears rarely attack people. Most likely, it will back off once it realizes you are a human.

2. A smell of fish or urine at home for no apparent reason

If you can’t detect the source of the smell, it is probably electric wires melting. This situation can lead to a fire or even an explosion. The best option is to cut off the electricity until the cause has been clearly found.

3. Rip current

If you accidentally find yourself in a rip current, it is completely useless to swim against it to the shore — you will only waste your energy. Try to swim parallel to the shore until you exit the current, and only then swim toward the shore.

4. Aspirin during a heart attack

Just one pill of aspirin can seriously improve how you feel. The person having the heart attack should lie down immediately and put something under their head or sit down and then take the pill. In order for it to work sooner, it should be chewed very well.

5. Diagnosing a heat stroke

The most obvious symptoms of a heat stroke are dizziness and nausea, but they can appear for other reasons too. In order to know for sure, you should eat something sweet, like candy. If the taste seems unpleasant, this is a heat stroke. For people who have any cardiovascular disorders, it is vital to determine the reason as soon as possible and get the right help.

6. A simple maneuver that will bring someone back to consciousness

If you need to bring someone back to consciousness, you should put them on their back and push their knees to their chest. This will make the blood flow to their brain and the person will wake up. But first, make sure the person doesn’t have any leg or body injuries, otherwise, the situation may only get worse.

7. 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. 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.

8. Saving a drowning person

If you were able to save a drowned person, it doesn’t mean that they are out of the woods yet. You should take them to the hospital immediately, otherwise they could die within several days if there is some leftover water in their lungs.

9. How to break car glass in case of an accident

If you are in a situation where you can only get out of a car through the window and the door is impossible to open, remember that it is much easier to break a window by hitting it, not on the center but on the edges. By the way, if you can remove the headrest from the seat, you can use it to break the window. In different cars, headrests are different, so make sure you know how to remove the ones in your car.

10. A fire because of a water bottle

This may sound strange, but if direct sunshine gets on the bottle, it can really cause a fire. The thing is, in this case, the bottle will work as a lens and concentrate the heat in one spot. So, it is best to keep these bottles away from windows and to never leave them in a car.

11. Antihistamines should always be with you.

It may happen that you are allergic to something that you have never encountered before. And it could be such a severe allergic reaction that it might just be lethal unless you get qualified help. This is especially important on trips when people try new foods, see new plants, and go to completely new places.

12. Water on the beach is too far from the shoreline.

When the waterline is abnormally far from the shore, this is a sign of a tsunami. If you notice this somewhere, you should warn everyone around and run.

Unfortunately, in 2004, people didn’t pay attention to this sign when a tsunami happened in the Indian Ocean. Almost the entire shore was exposed, and people went out to collect fish and shells. And children were the most interested. However, there were people on 2 beaches that knew about this fact: a 10-year-old English girl named Tilly Smith and biology teacher John Chroston. They managed to save the lives of many people that day.

13. The rule of 3

If you ever find yourself in a critical situation, you should remember these numbers that can be used to describe the survival abilities of an average person:

• 3 minutes without air;
• 3 hours in extreme temperature;
• 3 days without water;
• 3 weeks without food.

So, if you can’t get your priorities straight, the chances of surviving are much lower.

Have you ever encountered anything like this and did you react to the situation properly? Share your experience in the comment section below.