Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
With the right supplies and information, most minor cuts and grazes, bruises, sprains, or coughs and colds can be managed at home without needing medical help.
Make sure you have a medicine cabinet with:
You can buy all these from your local supermarket. Go to your local pharmacy for medicine if needed.
Always read the directions on the label of on any medicines. Speak to your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you are not sure.
A clean cut in the skin is called a laceration. Most lacerations are not serious and heal easily with self care. Deeper cuts may need stitches by a nurse or doctor.
A scrape (graze) is a scraping or rubbing away of the skin surface. Grazes are not serious and usually heal within 2 weeks with self-care.
You can take care of minor cuts and scrapes at home.
Get a tetanus shot if you have not had one in the past 5 years and the wound is deep or dirty. You will need to arrange this through your regular healthcare provider or urgent care — it may be partially or fully funded through ACC.
Most cuts or scrapes can be managed at home. But, sometimes cuts need stitches to heal or treatment for infection. If in doubt, contact your healthcare provider for advice or call Healthline for free advice.
Call Healthline: 0800 611 116
You should see a healthcare provider if you have any of the following.
If your cut was caused by a foreign object like a nail or has dirt in it, you may need a tetanus booster. Ask your healthcare provider if you think you need one. There may be a cost for this.
Tetanus, diptheria and whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix)
Watch for signs of infection. See a healthcare provider if you have:
The symptoms will depend on the area injured and the extent of injury, but they may include:
Sprains can cause similar symptoms to a broken bone. If you think you have a broken bone, visit your usual doctor or healthcare provider, urgent care or an emergency department. Signs of a broken bone include:
The 4 steps to treat strains and sprains are RICE:
Simple pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen should provide enough pain relief. You may need a bandage or splint around the sprained area to provide support and stability while the area heals.
While your injury recovers, avoid HARM:
Pain and swelling should start to get better in 1 or 2 days. You should be able to begin to use the injured limb by taking the joint gently through its normal range of movement.
If despite the RICE treatment, the injury does not improve in a few days, see a healthcare provider to assess it. You may need an x-ray to check for broken bones, or to visit a physiotherapist to help the injury recover. You can see a physiotherapist without a referral, and your care might be partially funded through ACC.
A bruise is a collection of blood under the skin, which happens because of a soft tissue injury. A bruise is often accompanied by a lump, which is swelling caused by fluid under the skin.
People often get bruises after a knock or bang, strain or sprain. But bruising can also happen because of more serious injuries such a broken bone or internal bleeding.
A bruise may not appear straight away, but the area can be painful or tender and it may be swollen.
Bruises might be blue or purplish in colour. As they heal, they often become yellowish green in colour.
Bruises go away on their own. You can help them go away faster by applying ice on the injured area for up to 30 minutes at a time. You can treat pain with medicines like paracetamol or ibuprofen, or elevate the bruise to reduce swelling.
Some bruises can be more serious. Seek medical help if:
The bruised person may have an underlying problem that needs medical treatment if they:
Coughs and colds are common in tamariki and adults, and more common during winter. Most coughs and colds are not anything to worry about.
They can cause:
Any cough or cold that lasts more than 4 weeks or happens with other symptoms like a high fever or difficulty breathing needs to be checked by a healthcare provider.
Most coughs and colds do not need to be treated with prescribed medicines. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.
The best ways to treat a cold or cough is to:
Do not use vapour rubs to relieve congestion in pēpi (babies) or tamariki as these can cause airway irritation and breathing distress.
Coughs and colds can be similar to other more serious illnesses. If you are not sure what you or your tamariki have, it is important to check with a healthcare provider.
Coughs and colds can be similar to COVID-19 or the flu. Find out more about their symptoms. You can easily test for COVID-19 with a RAT test.
Whooping cough (pertussis) causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months. It can sometimes cause a 'whoop' sound. Find out more about symptoms, treatment and prevention.
A fever is when your body temperature is warmer than 37 degrees celsius. It is usually your immune system responding to a virus or bacterial infection.
Most healthy adults and tamariki can tolerate a mild fever well. Very high fevers — 40°C or higher — need medical care.
Find out more about what to do for a fever based on your situation.
If your burn is small, and caused by heat — for example, a hot object, liquid, or flame— you may be able to take care of it at home.
Run cool, clean water over the burn for at least 20 minutes. Do not use ice on a burn.
Use non-stick dressings against the burn to keep it moist and clean. If a burn dries out and forms a scab, it takes longer to heal.
Do not burst your blisters. This can increase infection risk.
Keep the burned area raised. This can reduce swelling and help with pain and healing.
Visit a healthcare provider, or an emergency healthcare service if: