You will learn:

To recognise and treat a range of illnesses, including:

a. asthma

b. meningitis

c. poisoning

d. heart attack

e. epilepsy

f. allergic reactions.

Learning objectives

If your friend fell ill, would you know what to do?

There are so many different illnesses…How do you know what’s wrong? It can be very confusing!

Match the picture to the illness!

1. asthma: ___

2. meningitis: ___

3. heart attack: ___

4. poisoning: ___

click for answer

A B

DC

Introduction

A B

B

A

D

C

Start by checking if your friend already knows what’s wrong…

People often have medicine they can take, or they know what to do about their illness.

If your friend cannot speak to you,he or she needs an ambulance!

Do you know what’s the matter? What can I do to help?

Introduction

a. asthma

it could be… clues for how to spot it… word bank

asthma > casualty has difficulty breathing

> casualty makes a wheezing sound

> difficulty speaking

> blue lips, earlobes and nails

> casualty keeps coughing

nails

breathing

speaking

keeps

sound

blue

Look and listen for clues about the illness…

Where do the red words belong? Click on a number to see the answer.You could make a puzzle like this about another illness!

Kelly’s story

“I get asthma. It comes on if I’m around smokers, or if I’ve been running.

It can be very frightening when you can’t breathe, but I’ve learned to cope with it. I always keep my inhaler in my pocket.

A couple of puffs on that and I feel fine again in seconds!”

a. asthma

200click for answer

1 young person in 8 has been treated for asthma.*

* figure from the 2001 Asthma Audit by the National Asthma Campaign.

A school has 1,600 students. How many are likely to have been treated for asthma?

a. asthma

> get your friend to use their inhaler

> open a window to let in fresh air

> get your friend to sit down and lean forward

> get your friend to loosen tie, or tight clothes

> no change after 3 minutes? Repeat inhaler

> no change after 5 minutes?

> call 999 for an ambulance.

If your friend has an asthma attack, reassure them…

a. asthma

Jane’s story

“Mike and me were going out, but Jasmine just wouldn’t settle. She was hot and she had these little spots on her tummy.

The taxi was at the door and Mike was yelling at me to get a move on.

I wasn’t sure what to do... Could it be meningitis?”

b. meningitis

Meningitis makes the lining around the brain swell up. It can be a killer.

Children and teenagers are more likely to get it than older people.

One clear sign - the skin rash does not fade when you press a glass against it.

If you think someone has meningitis,

dial 999 for an ambulance.

Keep the person cool until help comes.

b. meningitis

how to spot meningitis

red/purple rash

headache

sleepiness

eyes hurt in bright lightseizures (fits

or convulsions)

stiff neck

vomiting

hot skin

a. meningitis

Jane’s story

“The babysitter showed me how to do the glass test. Jasmine’s rash didn’t fade. She was rushed to hospital.

She was fine in the end, but I’m so grateful to my babysitter.

She’s my best friend now!”

a. meningitis

Craig’s story

“My little sister drank out of a bottle she found under the sink. She started gasping for breath and there were burns round her mouth. I called 999…”

c. poisoning

An ambulance is on its way. Do you know what she drank?

It’s… oh no… it’s bleach!

Stay calm. How much did she drink?

Just a mouthful, I think.

Right, I want you to give her little sips of water. How’s her breathing?

She’s… she’s sort of… gasping.

Keep an eye on her breathing and tell me if there’s any change.

OK. Just… hurry!

Help is on the way. Has she vomited?

No.

If she does, I want you to keep a sample for the ambulance crew. They’ll soon be with you.

c. poisoning

Laura called 999 when her granddad started getting pains in his chest and arm. He was pale, dizzy, sweaty and his lips went blue. They told her to…

1. Sit her granddad down with his back supported and his knees bent.

2. Give him an aspirin to chew.

3. Help him take his heart medicine.

Laura’s granddad knew he was having a heart attack. It had happened before. The ambulance arrived in around 10 minutes and he made a good recovery.

d. heart attack

Click to guess again…

Joe’s story

Joe has epilepsy.

“Sometimes I just tune out and go blank for a moment. It’s a weird, horrible feeling.

Sometimes it’s worse. I have fits. I black out totally. My body falls to the floor and thrashes around wildly. It just comes on suddenly, with no warning.”

e. epilepsy

> move the furniture, so Joe can’t hurt himself

> put something soft under his head

> when the seizure is over, put him in the recovery position. If in doubt call an ambulance.

Joe’s friend Angie has seen it happen…

“At first I was terrified at what was happening to Joe. But since then, I’ve learned how to help...”

What do you think Angie can do?

Click here to find out.

e. epilepsy

Pete’s story

“I’m allergic to peanuts. If I eat something with even a trace of them, it’ll trigger off an attack.

My tongue swells up, then I get a rash. After that it gets really bad and I start gasping for breath.

I carry an auto-injector. If I get an attack, I use it to help my breathing until I can get to a hospital.”

f. allergic reactions

> bee stings

> wheat

> dairy products

> pollen

> pet fur

> aspirin

Though I reckon I may be allergic to homework too. Worth a try, isn’t it?

“I get a very bad reaction. For other people it might just be a rash, runny nose, or watering eyes.

Peanuts are the trigger for me. But different people are allergic to other things. Can you think of any?”

Click here

for some

ideas

f. allergic reactions

Do the glass test – dial 999 if the rash does not fade. Look for other signs and symptoms such as a stiff neck.

Help casualty into half-sitting position with knees up. Dial 999. Give victim 300mg of aspirin to chew. Help casualty take any medicine they have.

Sit casualty comfortably. Let casualty use inhaler. If no change after 5 minutes, dial 999.

Move furniture, so victim cannot injure himself / herself. Pad area around the head. Afterwards, put casualty in recovery position and call ambulance.

Find out what’s been taken and how much. Give sips of water if there are burns around the mouth. Call ambulance. Keep a sample of vomit. Check breathing.

Call ambulance. Give as much info as possible about trigger. Check if casualty has an auto-injector or syringe of adrenalin. Treat for shock if necessary.

Match the treatment to the illness…

answer on next slide…

poisoning

heart attack

asthma

epileptic seizure

allergic reaction

meningitis

Plenary

Match the treatment to the illness…

Plenary

Do the glass test – dial 999 if the rash does not fade. Look for other signs and symptoms such as a stiff neck.

Help casualty into half-sitting position with knees up. Dial 999. Give victim 300mg of aspirin to chew. Help casualty take any medicine they have.

Sit casualty comfortably. Let casualty use inhaler. If no change after 5 minutes, dial 999.

Move furniture, so victim cannot injure himself / herself. Pad area around the head. Afterwards, put casualty in recovery position and call ambulance.

Find out what’s been taken and how much. Give sips of water if there are burns around the mouth. Call ambulance. Keep a sample of vomit. Check breathing.

Call ambulance. Give as much info as possible about trigger. Check if casualty has an auto-injector or syringe of adrenalin. Treat for shock if necessary.

heart attack asthmameningitis

allergic reactionpoisoningepileptic seizure

Interactive quiz.

Make and play a Sickness Snap game.

Write a diary entry for one of the people who have told their stories in the presentation. What happened next to the person?

You’ve completed this lesson on illnesses.

Test your knowledge in our interactive quiz, or find out more with one of these activities…

Find out more