First Aid Myths That Could Make Things Worse

First aid is full of advice that has been passed from one generation to the next.

Some of it is useful.

Some of it is outdated.

And some of it could actually make an injury worse.

The problem is that first aid myths often sound convincing. They may be things you’ve seen in films, heard from a parent or grandparent, or even been told as a child.

Knowing what not to do can be just as important as knowing what to do.

Here are some common first aid myths worth knowing.

Myth 1: Put Butter on a Burn

This is one of the classic first aid myths.

Butter, oil, toothpaste and other household substances are sometimes suggested as treatments for burns.

They shouldn’t be.

Putting substances such as butter or oil onto a fresh burn can interfere with cooling and make the injury harder to assess.

What should you do instead?

For a minor burn or scald, cool the affected area under cool running water for at least 20 minutes as soon as reasonably possible.

Remove jewellery or clothing near the injury if it isn’t stuck to the skin.

Don’t apply ice directly to the burn.

🔥 BURN MYTH

Butter belongs on toast, not burns.

Don’t use butter, oils, creams or toothpaste as a first-aid treatment for a fresh burn.

For serious burns, particularly large, deep or critical-area burns, seek urgent medical help.

Myth 2: Put Ice Directly on an Injury

Ice is often used for injuries, but placing ice directly against the skin can cause cold injury.

It isn’t necessary to make an injury as cold as possible.

For many minor injuries, the more important priorities are protecting the injured area and avoiding further damage.

If you use something cold, place a suitable barrier between it and the skin and avoid prolonged direct exposure.

For significant injuries, follow appropriate first-aid guidance.

Myth 3: Make Someone Vomit After They’ve Swallowed Something Poisonous

If someone has swallowed a potentially poisonous substance, don’t automatically make them vomit.

Vomiting can cause additional damage, particularly with certain chemicals.

Instead, get professional advice immediately.

In the UK, contact NHS 111 for appropriate urgent advice when the situation isn’t immediately life-threatening, or call 999 in an emergency.

Keep the packaging or information about the substance if it is safe to do so, as this can help medical professionals identify what was involved.

☠️ POISONING

Don’t guess.

Don’t make someone vomit or give them something to eat or drink unless a healthcare professional tells you to.

Myth 4: Give an Unconscious Person Something to Drink

If someone is unconscious, don’t give them food or drink.

They may not be able to swallow safely and could choke.

If someone is unconscious but breathing normally, the priority is maintaining their airway and placing them in the recovery position, where appropriate, while getting medical help.

If they’re not breathing normally, call 999 or 112 and begin CPR according to the emergency operator’s instructions.

Myth 5: Put Something in Someone’s Mouth During a Seizure

You may have heard that someone having a seizure could swallow their tongue.

This is not a reason to put an object, fingers or anything else into their mouth.

Trying to force something between their teeth can cause injury.

Instead, focus on protecting them from nearby hazards.

Move dangerous objects away where possible and cushion their head if appropriate.

Don’t restrain their movements.

After the seizure, check that they’re breathing and stay with them.

Call 999 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes, another seizure follows without recovery, they are injured, they have difficulty breathing afterwards, or you have another reason to believe it is an emergency.

🧠 SEIZURE MYTH

Never put something in someone’s mouth during a seizure.

You cannot safely prevent someone from “swallowing their tongue” by putting something in their mouth.

Myth 6: Tilt Someone’s Head Back If They Have a Nosebleed

This is another piece of advice many people remember from childhood.

Tilting the head backwards can cause blood to run down the throat.

Instead, sit the person down and encourage them to lean forward slightly.

Pinch the soft part of the nose and keep pressure on it continuously for an appropriate period.

If the bleeding is heavy, doesn’t stop or follows a significant injury, seek medical help.

Myth 7: Suck the Poison Out of a Snake Bite

You may have seen this in films.

Don’t do it.

Trying to suck venom out of a bite is not a reliable treatment and can cause further problems.

In the UK, serious snake bites are uncommon, but they can occur.

If someone is bitten by a potentially venomous snake, seek urgent medical advice and keep the person as calm and still as possible while waiting for help.

Don’t attempt to catch the snake.

🐍 DON’T PLAY HERO

If you’ve encountered a snake, your priority is the injured person, not identifying or catching the animal.

Keep a safe distance.

Myth 8: Rub Frostbite to Warm It Up

Rubbing or massaging frostbitten skin can cause additional tissue damage.

If someone has suspected frostbite, protect the affected area from further cold and seek appropriate medical help.

Don’t rub it.

Don’t use direct heat such as a radiator or fire.

Don’t deliberately expose the area to very hot water.

Gradual rewarming under appropriate conditions is preferred, but significant frostbite requires medical assessment.

Myth 9: Give Alcohol to Someone Who Is Cold

A hot alcoholic drink might sound like a good way to warm someone up.

Alcohol is not an appropriate treatment for hypothermia.

Someone who is seriously cold needs appropriate warming and medical attention.

Remove wet clothing where possible, add dry insulation and shelter the person from further cold.

If they are significantly confused, drowsy, very cold or deteriorating, treat it as a medical emergency.

🥶 COLD WEATHER MYTH

Alcohol can make someone feel warm without actually solving the problem.

Don’t use alcohol as a treatment for hypothermia.

Myth 10: Walk Off a Sprain

Someone twists their ankle and the natural reaction can be:

“Come on, walk it off.”

That isn’t always sensible.

Continuing to put weight on an injury can make it worse.

Stop the activity and assess what has happened.

Protect the injured area and seek appropriate medical advice if the injury is severe, very painful, significantly swollen, deformed or the person cannot use the limb normally.

For a Scout activity, this is a good example of why “carry on” isn’t always the best response to an injury.

Myth 11: A Small Cut Doesn’t Need Cleaning

A tiny cut can look harmless.

But dirt and bacteria can enter through broken skin.

For minor cuts and grazes, rinse away visible dirt and keep the wound clean.

If bleeding is significant, apply direct pressure with a suitable dressing or clean material.

Seek medical help if the wound is deep, heavily contaminated, caused by a significant bite or won’t stop bleeding.

Myth 12: Keep Checking a Bleeding Wound

If you’ve applied pressure to a bleeding wound, repeatedly lifting the dressing to see whether the bleeding has stopped can disturb the clot that’s forming.

Instead, maintain firm pressure.

If blood soaks through, don’t keep removing the original dressing unnecessarily. Add further dressings or material over the top and continue applying pressure.

For severe bleeding, call 999 or 112 and follow the emergency operator’s instructions.

🩸 BLEEDING

Pressure is your friend.

Don’t keep lifting the dressing every few seconds to check underneath.

Myth 13: If Someone Is Injured, Give Them Food and Drink

It may seem kind to give an injured person a drink or snack.

But if they may need surgery, sedation or another medical procedure, eating and drinking can sometimes cause complications.

For a seriously injured person, don’t automatically give food or drink unless appropriate medical guidance tells you to.

Keeping them warm and reassuring them is usually more useful.

Myth 14: If Someone Has Fainted, Slap Them or Throw Water on Them

There is no need to slap someone who has fainted.

And throwing water over them isn’t a sensible first-aid treatment.

Instead, make sure they’re safe from immediate hazards and allow them to recover appropriately.

If someone doesn’t quickly regain consciousness, has difficulty breathing, is injured, has chest pain or you have any other serious concern, seek emergency medical help.

Myth 15: You Should Always Move an Injured Person

Moving someone can sometimes be dangerous.

If someone has suffered a serious injury, particularly after a fall or collision, moving them unnecessarily could worsen an injury.

If they are in immediate danger, however, moving them may be necessary to get them away from the hazard.

The important question is:

“Are they safer where they are, or is the environment dangerous?”

If there isn’t an immediate danger, get help and avoid unnecessary movement.

Myth 16: If Someone Can Talk, They Must Be Fine

Being able to speak doesn’t mean someone isn’t seriously injured.

Someone can be conscious and talking while experiencing:

Pay attention to how they are behaving, not just whether they can answer questions.

If someone seems to be deteriorating, get medical help.

Myth 17: A Person With Heatstroke Just Needs Water

This is an important one.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency.

It isn’t simply dehydration.

Someone suffering heatstroke may become confused, collapse, have a very high body temperature or become unconscious.

Call 999 and follow emergency advice.

Move them to a cooler place and begin appropriate cooling while waiting for help.

Don’t delay emergency treatment because you’re trying to make them drink.

☀️ HEATSTROKE

Confusion, collapse or altered behaviour in someone exposed to significant heat should be taken seriously.

Treat suspected heatstroke as an emergency.

Myth 18: Put a Person With Heatstroke Into an Ice Bath Without Thinking

Rapid cooling is important in heatstroke, but first aid should be appropriate to the person’s circumstances and the equipment available.

If an ice bath is not practical, other methods of active cooling can be used while emergency help is being arranged.

Don’t waste valuable time trying to create the “perfect” treatment.

Call 999 and start cooling the person.

Myth 19: You Can Always Tell How Serious an Injury Is by Looking at It

Some serious injuries aren’t immediately obvious.

A person might appear relatively well immediately after an accident and then deteriorate.

This is particularly important with:

If something about the person’s condition concerns you, take that concern seriously.

Myth 20: First Aid Is About Fixing the Injury

Perhaps the biggest misconception is that first aid means fixing whatever has happened.

Usually, it doesn’t.

First aid is about preserving life, preventing the situation from getting worse and supporting someone until appropriate medical care is available.

You don’t need to diagnose every injury.

You need to recognise when someone needs help and take sensible action.

❤️ THE FIRST AID RULE

Don’t make things worse.

Keep the person safe.

Get help when necessary.

Provide the first aid you are trained to give.

And don’t be afraid to call for professional help.

Why First Aid Myths Are So Dangerous

The problem with a first aid myth isn’t simply that it might not work.

Some can actively make the situation worse.

Putting butter on a burn can interfere with proper treatment.

Giving food or drink to an unconscious person can cause choking.

Putting something in the mouth of someone having a seizure can cause injury.

Moving someone unnecessarily after a serious injury can make things worse.

The safest approach is to learn first aid from a recognised training provider and keep your knowledge up to date.

What Should Scouts Learn?

For Scouts, first aid is about more than memorising a list of treatments.

They should understand the basic principles:

Make sure the scene is safe.

Check the person.

Get help when necessary.

Give appropriate first aid.

Monitor them until help arrives.

Most importantly, Scouts should feel comfortable saying:

“I don’t know what to do — I’m going to get help.”

That is much better than trying a dangerous treatment simply because they’ve heard it somewhere.

A Useful Scout Activity

First aid myths make an excellent quiz or practical discussion.

Give Scouts a statement such as:

“Put butter on a burn.”

They have to decide:

Myth or fact?

Then ask:

“What would you actually do?”

Try examples involving burns, bleeding, seizures, nosebleeds, hypothermia and heatstroke.

The activity can then lead into practising the correct first-aid skills.

It also encourages Scouts to question information rather than automatically believing something because they’ve heard it before.

Final Thoughts

First aid advice has changed over time, and some things that were once considered normal are no longer recommended.

The best first-aid skill isn’t knowing hundreds of obscure treatments.

It’s knowing the basics, recognising when something is serious and not doing something that could make the situation worse.

Don’t put butter on burns.

Don’t put objects in someone’s mouth during a seizure.

Don’t make someone vomit because you think they swallowed something poisonous.

Don’t give drinks to someone who is unconscious.

Don’t move seriously injured people unnecessarily.

And don’t be afraid to call for help.

🩹 THE BIG IDEA

Good first aid isn’t about being a hero.

It’s about staying calm, protecting the person, using the skills you’ve been trained to use and getting professional help when it’s needed.