70% off sale on our standard preparedness and first aid manual with free custom labels on 10 or more copies

Update: As of late-April 2023 this special is over … but … our red books are available for $6 each plus freight on 10+ copies with free custom labels – learn more.

We are doing another limited time special on our 266-pg standard red preparedness and first aid paperback discounting it down to only $5.00 US each (70% off list) + freight + FREE custom labels when ordering 10 or more copies!

IT’S A DISASTER! provides 2-color quick-reference instructional bullets with tips about…

• Family plans and kits;
• Preparing for, responding to and recovering from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, CBRNE incidents, and more;
• Active shooter scenarios;
• How to administer basic first aid and much more!

Our customizable book (and PDF ebook) qualifies as public education + provides tons of match (if using grant funds), and makes great giveaways for staff, volunteers, customers and local communities.

Learn more about this special paperback sale at fedhealth.net … or get a custom ebook for fans + earn $$$ … and call 520.907.2153 for more information.

And proceeds always benefit the U.S. First Responders Association

Its A Disaster preparedness and first aid manual black and white version now on Amazon

We recently revised our IT’S A DISASTER! …and what are YOU gonna do about it? book (and PDF ebook) and are pleased to announce a new black & white paperback version is now available on Amazon using their POD system under a new ISBN (9781930131279).

This new option allows nonprofits, bloggers and social media influencers to earn money on the paperback if they are Amazon Associates, plus it complements our ebook affiliate program.

Fedhealth will continue to customize the color version of IT’S A DISASTER books and ebooks that are discounted 60% to 86% off list in bulk as we have been doing since 1999.

Learn more about our products, free customization and funding ideas at fedhealth.net or call 520.907.2153 with any questions or needs. Stay safe ~ j & B

Keep Your Home and Family Safe From These Threats—Here’s How

Guest post by Melanie @ DisasterPrepared.info

Maintaining your home and family’s health and safety is always a priority. However, there’s little doubt that the need to take a more proactive stance on these has been magnified as of late. It feels like a multitude of threats from the world at large—both seen and unseen—have become more apparent. Fortunately, the ways to combat them have been made easier and more accessible, thanks to modern technology.

Now is the time to learn about these options. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep your home free of the things that could harm it and, by extension, what might threaten your family’s overall well-being. Fedhealth shows you how to protect the ones you love.

Free from Fire Hazards

While there is never a guarantee you won’t experience a fire at home, there are tried and true methods that help ward off potential fires as well as alert you quickly. These methods include keeping anything flammable away from an open heat source, cooking safely, keeping matches out of reach from children and installing smart smoke alarms. It’s also in your family’s best interest to develop an escape plan in the event of a fire.

Free from Contaminants

Less obvious threats to hearth and home are arguably those that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Case in point, consider the water your family is drinking. For the most part, water from the tap is safe to drink. But the fact is, you never really know for sure what harmful contaminants might be present, especially in a city or industrial area. With this in mind, an effective water filtration system is a must to make sure that your family only consumes clean and purified drinking water.

Free from Chemicals

Now, threats to your home and family’s health are also often in the form of germs and bacteria that carry all sorts of viruses. In fact, this is a threat that has been at the forefront of almost everyone’s consciousness recently. On the bright side, this has made people more vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing their homes to effectively combat the threat of disease-carrying germs. However, this has its downsides, too. For example, you could be inadvertently exposing your family to harmful chemicals, which are present in most cleaning products.

Fear not, though, because you can kill all sorts of germs and bacteria without having to use harmful chemicals. In fact, there are actually chemical-free alternatives to Lysol and similar products. Better still, these are items you almost always have in your home at the ready, such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and even vodka. It goes without saying, therefore, that you can easily make the healthy switch to these natural cleaning products and, in the process, create a cleaner and healthier home.

Free from Crime

Lastly, don’t forget that crime is still very much present in this day and age, so you must always remain vigilant if you want to keep your home and family safe. Your first step is making sure you have reliable and secure locks on your doors. If you need to hire a locksmith to install locks, view customer ratings and reviews to narrow down your choices. A trustworthy locksmith will be insured and licensed and offer warranties for their work.

While honoring common safety measures at home like simply locking your doors and windows and keeping your entryways well-lighted (to name a few), it can also be very smart to consider making use of technology to boost your home’s security. This is especially true if you operate a home business that could make you a target. Never open the door for unexpected visitors, and don’t assume that a uniform means the person is legitimate. Also, if you travel for work, invest in a good security system as robbers look for vulnerabilities like vacant houses as opportunities to target homes. These days, home security systems already come with a good number of interactive bells and whistles, so yes, there are plenty of things to consider—running the gamut from surveillance camera placement to motion detectors.

Free from Flooding

Although you can’t control the weather, you can be prepared for it. If you live in or near a flood zone, take precautions specific to this force of nature. First, invest in good flood insurance. These policies protect you from damage from floods and are often subsidized by the government. In fact, homeowners in areas that are particularly prone to flooding may be required to purchase this kind of insurance.

Another precaution you can take is to use waterproof or water-resistant concrete in and around your home. According to Best Concrete Mix, Corp, waterproof concrete can divert flood waters and provides long-lasting waterproof construction. You can even create a concrete floodwall to protect your home against this type of water damage. If you want to add concrete to your property, search online for “concrete work near me” and read through the reviews. Look specifically for mentions of waterproof concrete and flood prevention, since that’s the type of work you are most interested in. If they don’t mention it, ask specifically about these topics when you call to arrange an on-site quote.

Your home is only as safe as the steps you take—not just in securing the property itself, but also in maintaining your family’s health and overall wellness. Leaving it all up to chance is simply not an option in this day and age, so you must be proactive through actions, awareness, and even supplements such as flood insurance.

You may even want to work with Fedhealth to create customized books and ebooks with additional safety issues most relevant to your neighborhood and community. Ultimately, you will not regret the measures you take in the name of health and safety.

70% off sale on our customizable paperback for NPM

For a limited time our 266-pg standard red preparedness and first aid paperback is only $5 US each (70% off list) on 28 or more copies + freight + FREE custom labels!

IT’S A DISASTER! provides quick-reference instructional bullets in 2-color format with tips about…

• Family plans and kits;
• Preparing for, responding to and recovering from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, CBRNE incidents, and more;
• Active shooter scenarios;
• How to administer basic first aid and much more!

Our customizable book (and PDF ebook) qualifies as public education + provides tons of match (if using grant funds), and makes great giveaways for staff, volunteers, customers and local communities ~ especially during National Preparedness Month.

Learn more about this special paperback sale at fedhealth.net … or get a custom ebook for fans + earn $$$ … and call 520.907.2153 for more information.

And proceeds always benefit the U.S. First Responders Association

Raise more funds for you while helping fans and communities get prepared for emergencies and disasters

We are excited to announce we are giving MORE MONEY BACK to affiliates!

Volunteer groups, nonprofits, social media influencers and others can now earn 40% on every 282-page digital preparedness and first aid ebook that your fans and visitors order from your sites, newsletters and social media ids using a special web link. (We can also do this with a custom ebook for you – see below!)

For over 20 years Fedhealth has been helping families and communities learn what to do before, during and after most types of emergencies and disasters with our customizable preparedness and first aid book and ebook.

We discount the PDF ebook down to $5.00 U.S. (70% off list) and now give 40% or $2.00 back to affiliates or a charity of your choosing.

There is no charge to join and SendOwl will assign a unique link for our It’s A Disaster! PDF ebook that you can program on a text phrase or banner on your sites, blog, social media, newsletters and apps.

Join Fedhealth’s ebook program on SendOwl or learn more at fedhealth.net.

Want a custom ebook for your fans and others?

If you have a large fan, member or customer base and would like to offer a custom ebook with your own custom cover + e-pages in front to promote your products, services, videos and links plus earn $$$ for you or charity, please visit fedhealth.net or call 520.907.2153.

We also pay $$$ on referred bulk ebook and bulk paperback orders too.

Please share these ideas with volunteers, youth groups, bloggers and others looking for ways to help raise funds and help educate fans and communities.

As FYI, proceeds of everything we do always benefits the U.S. First Responders Association.

Nuclear power plant emergency (dealing with possible radiation exposure)

As of 2022, the World Nuclear Association says there are 430+ operable commercial nuclear reactors with over 90 of them in the United States, and 19 power stations in Canada so millions of Americans and Canadians live within 10 miles (16 km) of an operating power plant.

Also WNA reports there are 220 research reactors (50 in the U.S.) mainly on university campuses.

Even though governments and associations monitor and regulate construction and operation of plants, accidents are possible and do happen. An accident could result in dangerous levels of radiation that could affect the health and safety of the public living near a nuclear power plant, as well as people many miles away depending on winds and weather – so tens of millions of North Americans could potentially be affected.

Some other incidents involving possible radiation exposure may be a nuclear missile or suitcase nuke or a dirty bomb.

How is radiation detected?
You cannot see, feel, taste or smell radiation, but special instruments can detect even the smallest levels of it. If radiation is released, authorities will monitor levels of radioactivity to determine the potential danger so they can alert and protect the public. (Consider getting dosimeters [pen units, RADTriage, etc], KFM kits or NukAlerts for your personal kits to detect radiation levels.)

What is best way to reduce radiation exposure?

Limit the amount of radiation you are exposed to by doing 3 things …

Distance – The more distance between you and the source of radiation, the less you’ll receive. During a serious accident you may be told to evacuate.

Shielding – Heavy, dense materials between you and radiation is best – this is why you want to stay indoors since the walls in your home should be good enough to protect you in some cases… but listen to radio and TV to learn if you need to evacuate.

Time – Most radioactivity loses its strength rather quickly. Limiting your time near the source of radiation reduces the amount you receive.

What is the most dangerous part of a nuclear accident?

Radioactive iodine – nuclear reactors contain many different radioactive products, but a dangerous one is radioactive iodine, which once absorbed, can damage cells of the thyroid gland. The greatest population that suffers in a nuclear accident is children (including unborn babies) since their thyroid is so active, but all people are at risk of absorbing radioactive iodine.

How can I be protected from radioactive iodine?

Potassium iodide (KI) – can be purchased over-the-counter now and is known to be an effective thyroid-blocking agent. In other words, it fills up the thyroid with good iodine that keeps radioactive iodine from being absorbed into our bodies.

What if I am allergic to iodine?

According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, the FDA suggests that risks of allergic reaction to potassium iodide are minimal compared to subjecting yourself to cancer from radioactive iodine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what you should keep on hand in the event of an allergic reaction.

Many countries stockpile potassium iodide (KI), especially since the Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi incidents. Several U.S. states also stockpile KI in case of an accident or incident, but people would have to wait for it to be disseminated so consider acquiring some for your various kits.

The FDA has approved 4 KI products – Iosat, ThyroSafe, ThyroShield and Potassium Iodide Oral Solution USP per www.cdc.gov. In an emergency, other options may be taking KIO3, applying iodine solution to your skin, or taking kelp pills.

Community Planning for Emergencies

Local, state and provincial governments, Federal agencies and utilities have developed emergency response plans in the event of a nuclear power plant accident. United States’ plans define 2 “emergency planning zones” (EPZs)

• Plume Exposure EPZ – a 10-mile radius from nuclear plant where people may be harmed by radiation exposure  NOTE: People within a 10-mile radius are given emergency information about radiation, evacuation routes, special arrangements for handicapped, etc. via brochures, phone books, and utility bills.

• Ingestion Exposure EPZ – about a 50-mile radius from plant where accidentally released radioactive materials could contaminate water supplies, food crops and livestock


BEFORE A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMERGENCY:

Learn the buzzwords – Know terms used to describe a nuclear emergency at a plant: U.S. / (Canada)…

• Notification of Unusual Event / (Reportable Event) – a small problem has occurred. No radiation leak is expected. Federal, state/provincial and county/municipal officials will be told right away. No action on your part will be necessary.
• Alert / (Abnormal Incident) – a small problem has occurred, and small amounts of radiation could leak inside plant. This will not affect you and you shouldn’t have to do anything.
• Site Area Emergency / (Onsite Emergency) – a more serious problem… small amounts of radiation could leak from the plant. If necessary, officials will act to ensure public safety. Area sirens may be sounded and listen to your radio or TV for information.
• General Emergency / (General Emergency) – the MOST serious problem… radiation could leak outside the plant and off the plant site. In most cases sirens will sound so listen to local radio or TV for reports and updates. State/Provincial and county/municipal officials will act to assure public safety and be prepared to follow their instructions!

Learn signals – Ask about your community’s warning system and pay attention to “test” dates to learn if you can HEAR it. Nuclear power plants are required to install sirens and other warning devices to cover a 10-mile area around the plant in the U.S. (If you live outside the 10-mile area you will probably learn of the event through local TV and radio, but just be aware winds and weather can impact areas as far as 200 miles [320 km] away!!)

Learn risks – Ask the company operating the plant for brochures and data.

Make a plan – Develop a Family Emergency Plan and Disaster Supplies Kit. Double check on emergency plans for schools, day cares or places family may be and where they’ll go if evacuated.


DURING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMERGENCY:

Stay calm – Not all accidents release radiation – may be contained in plant.

Listen – Turn on radio or TV. Authorities will give specific instructions and information for each specific incident.

Stay or go..? – Evacuate if told to do so by local authorities … and …

• Grab your Disaster Supplies Kit.
• Close doors, windows and fireplace damper.
• Cover your mouth and nose with face mask or cloth.
• Close car windows and vents and use “re-circulating” air.
• Keep listening to radio for evacuation routes & updates.

As long as you are NOT told to evacuate, do the following…

IF INDOORS – Stay inside and prepare to “shelter-in-place”…

• Close doors and windows and your fireplace damper.
• Turn off air conditioner, ventilation fans, furnace and other intakes (they pull in air from outside).
• Go to a basement or underground area (if possible).
• Keep a battery-operated radio with you to hear updates.
• Stay inside until authorities tell you it is safe to go out!

IF OUTDOORS – Get indoors as soon as possible!

• Cover mouth and nose with a cloth or napkins and find shelter.
• Once inside, remove clothing, shower & wash hair and put on fresh clothing and different shoes. Put clothes and shoes you were wearing in plastic bags, seal and store. Local authorities can tell you what to do with bags.

IF IN A VEHICLE – Keep windows up, close vents, use “recirculating” air and keep listening to radio for updates. If possible, drive away from site.

Pets & livestock – Get them in shelters with clean food and water that has not been exposed to air-borne radiation, especially milk-producing animals.

Food – Put food in covered containers or in refrigerator — any food that was not in a covered container should be washed first.

Take potassium iodide..? – IF radioactive iodine has been released into the air from a power plant accident, some states may decide to provide KI pills mentioned at beginning of this topic to people in a 10-mile radius.

NOTE: Take KI pills ONLY as directed by local public health authorities and follow instructions on the package exactly!


AFTER A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EMERGENCY:

Listen – Keep radio and TV tuned in — stay in until authorities say all clear.

Clean up – If you were possibly exposed to radiation…

• store clothes & shoes – put clothing and shoes in tightly sealed containers or plastic bags and ask health officials what to do with them
• shower – wash your body and hair to remove radioactive particles
• land and property – ask authorities how to clean up area

Weird symptoms – Seek medical attention if you have symptoms like upset stomach or feel queasy after a reported incident since it could be related to radiation exposure.

Gardens & crops – Authorities will provide information concerning safety of farm and homegrown products — or check with agricultural extension agent. Unharvested crops are hard to protect but crops that are already harvested should be stored inside, if possible.

Milk – Local officials should inspect cows’ and goats’ milk before using.

Some other incidents involving possible radiation exposure may be a nuclear missile or suitcase nuke or a dirty bomb.

Above extracted from It’s A Disaster! — learn how to order our 266-page preparedness and first aid book or ebook

Proceeds benefit the U.S. First Responders Association

New look, new paperback price and new affiliate program for ebook

It’s a new year and we’ve got some good news and a little bad news.

First some good news … we recently redesigned our Fedhealth.net site and have a new shopping cart and affiliate program provider for our PDF ebook with some cool new features.

The bad news is due to increased paper and freight costs, our 266-page IT’S A DISASTER! paperback cost for standard red books (by the case) and custom book orders (1k & up) bundled into large bulk prints is now $6.00 U.S. each (60% off list) plus freight.

We will continue to provide free customization, and the freight cost will be whatever our printer and warehouse charges us so we’ll provide estimates before any bulk orders ship.

Some more good news is … a NEW option for anyone wanting custom printed books in small quantities and on rush orders is short-run pricing that will totally depend on the quantity needed. The per book price will be less than our $14.99 list, but more than $6 each price mentioned above due to the smaller print.

Our 282-page PDF ebook is still only $5 each and you can now “gift” ebook purchases to your family and friends. And custom ebooks in bulk are still discounted as low as $2 each.

Fedhealth’s Affiliate Program associated with our preparedness and first aid ebook is now through a provider with more features so consider joining for free to earn 30% (or $1.50) on each $5 ebook ordered using a special link on your site, blog or social media.

Also, if you have a large fan, member or customer base, we can design a custom ebook for free so you can raise funds with it for yourself and/or a charity – learn more.

Check out our new look at fedhealth.net and download a free ebook, learn about our customizable tools, funding ideas and more. Stay safe ~ j & B

New paperback pricing + short run options in 2022 (ebooks still 70% or more off)

Unfortunately with the price of everything going up it is impacting book publishers with increased paper and freight costs, meaning it is going to affect our clients, as well.

For many years our $5 bulk book price (70% off list) included freight in the U.S., but shipping costs have been brutal on us the past 2 years, so we had to make a tough decision that hopefully we can reverse someday if the economy turns around.

As of January 2022, our 266-page IT’S A DISASTER! paperback (both standard red books [by the case] and custom book orders [1k & up] bundled into large bulk prints) will be $6.00 U.S. each (60% off list) plus freight.

We will continue to provide FREE customization and we always pass through whatever freight discounts are given to us (i.e. we charge whatever our printer charges us.)

Also a NEW option for anyone wanting custom printed books in small quantities and on rush orders is short-run pricing that will totally depend on the quantity needed. It will be less than our $14.99 list price, but again, depends on how many custom books you want. We will have some stepped pricing online soon, and we can always provide estimates in the meantime.

Prices will remain the same on our 284-page interactive PDF ebook that starts at only $5 each (~70% off list) and goes as low as $2 each (or less) in large bulk with unlimited customization.

Please call 520.907.2153 or email sales@fedhealth.net anytime for quotes esp. if you want to lock in the 2021 $5 / book bulk price with free freight for now, and learn more at fedhealth.net

Fedhealth is a sole source, small business registered on many local, state and federal procurement systems in case that helps when using grants.

Give the gift of preparedness (holiday gift ideas from some of our partners and affiliates)

Do you sometimes struggle to find a holiday gift for some people … or maybe you’d like to show family and friends how much you care about their safety? Consider giving the gift of preparedness!

The past two years have reinforced the need for people to always have some basic supplies on hand in case of an emergency or empty shelves. And there various things available that could help your loved ones when there is no power or water for a short or extended period of time.  

Preparedness is a mindset so the more you can introduce these types of tools and thought processes into conversations with family and friends, hopefully the more they will think about the “what if” scenarios that may happen where they live.

Below are some prep tools we use / like and we’d love to hear your suggestions or feedback on preferred items via email or on our Facebook page.

Please note, some links are with affiliates meaning Fedhealth may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you, but proceeds benefit the U.S. First Responders Association.

The U. S. First Responders Association’s custom Family Preparedness and First Aid ebook can help you get prepared for, respond to, and recover from most types of emergencies and disasters including floods, infectious diseases, wildfires, winter storms, active shooter scenarios and more. The 286-pg PDF ebook is only $5.00 (~ 70% off) and proceeds benefit USFRA and their programs supporting Fire/EMS, Law Enforcement, 911/Dispatch, K9s and veterans. Learn more on USFRA.org

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A low cost and fun option is to fill little baskets, stockings, gift boxes, tubs or small backpacks with some practical items from a dollar store with items like flashlights, batteries, pocket sized ponchos or emergency blankets, hand warmers, light sticks, mini first aid kits, keychain with light or tool, mittens or gloves, socks, snacks, candy, stuffed toy, games or playing cards, first aid items and more. It’s a great way to get the conversation about preparedness started and hopefully encourages people to make full kits.

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4Patriots carries a very cool Patriot Power Cell that can keep your devices ON when your lights go out. This pocket-sized “power plant” can be used every day or while camping or even during a blackout. It has a built-in solar panel, 2 USB ports so you can charge two devices at once and the ruggedized design repels water and protects against drops. Built-in flashlight to help you see your way at night and more for under $30 – or get 4 for $99 and free freight! Learn more about Patriot Power cell here … and find other power and solar products here plus RV and camping stuff, water purification, Survival Food, tools, seeds and more on 4patriots.com

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If you or a loved one has sleep apnea, you understand the importance of using a CPAP. But CPAP machines require electricity which can be a problem if you lose power during a storm or you like to camp outdoors. One option is a portable battery to power your machine, and they can run about $300 to $700+. Another CPAP backup solution is a portable battery power station that is quiet and safe enough to use indoors for under $200. MAXOAK has several clean power solutions including power stations, solar panels and more at maxoak.net

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Poo-Pourri – We love the crap outta this stuff! RVers (and others) swear by this deodorizing toilet spray and once we tried it, we were totally hooked – esp. in our 300+ sf motorhome. Poo-Pourri has really expanded their products and scent options since we first started using it many years ago, and we have only used the Original Citrus since it works fine for us and is the most popular.

All Poo~Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray products are comprised of essential oils and other natural compounds that are scientifically formulated to trap bathroom odors before they ever begin. Spritz the Bowl Before You Go and No One Else Will Ever Know! Check out their line of festive holiday scents like Apple Cider, Pumpkin Spice, Seasons Seatings, Berry Bum Bum, Oh Spritzmas Tree and all their other toilet sprays, new home sprays, gift sets and more at Poopourri.com

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VetCare’s QuickDERM, a product that has been on the market and widely available to veterinarians for over 11 years, provides a moisture-retaining protective barrier that impacts inflammation and promotes rapid healing for ALL animals that have slight to severe wounds and skin conditions. The technology behind QuickDerm was first introduced for human health applications for hard-to-heal wounds, including burns, skin irritations, abrasions and cuts. (We personally used it after I got bit twice on my face by a black widow while sleeping 2 years ago.) Learn more about QuickDERM for your pets and livestock at https://vetcare.us/

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The Survival Mom’s 2022 Prepping Calendar is now available and chock-full of over 180 prepping tips and To Do tasks so you’ll know what to stock up on and how to save money on preps. TSM’s Book of the Month includes some titles that teach a survival mindset in entertaining, fictional formats. Lisa’s 2022 Prepping Calendar is available in print and/or digital format on thesurvivalmom.com. Also visit The Survival Mom’s Thrive Life store to find tasty, healthy, convenient freeze dried food that doesn’t go bad long term at www.thrivelife.com/survivalmom

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Some other great companies that provide a wide variety of preparedness kits, water purification, food, tools, gear and more include…

American Family Safety offers Preparedness and Survival Kits, Safety and Sanitation kits and more at AmericanFamilySafety.com

Gluten Free Mall offers hundreds of brands and items to choose from including baking mixes, frozen meals, snacks, cereals – they even carry select vitamins, personal care items, and household cleaners. Best of all, it’s all guaranteed gluten free! Visit Glutenfreemall.com

Legacy Food Storage provides families and individuals with high quality, freeze-dried foods that have up a 25 year- long shelf life, along with various types of survival gear at Legacyfoodstorage.com

Practical Preppers carries many preparedness and off-grid items including Big Berkey and other water purification options , long term storage foods, sanitation, medical, cooking and other products at PracticalPreppers.com 

Survival Frog has the handy Lifestraw and other water purification tools , Backup power and radios, food, gear and much more at SurvivalFrog.com

Consider giving the gift of preparedness this holiday season and year round with our preparedness and basic first aid book or ebook – learn more at www.fedhealth.net

Subconjunctival hemorrhage (it looks worse than it is … plus first aid tips for other eye injuries)

Last Tuesday when I woke up I lightly rubbed my eye a bit since it felt like there was something in it, then when I looked in mirror I saw this red blob in the corner of my eye.

Needless to say we were a tiny bit freaked but, after Bill and I did a quick search, we learned it’s called a subconjunctival hemorrhage (sub-kun-JUNK-tih-vul HEM-uh-ruj).

According to the Mayo Clinic, a subconjunctival hemorrhage occurs when a tiny blood vessel breaks just underneath the clear surface of your eye (conjunctiva). It’s like having a bruise on your skin, but the conjunctiva can’t absorb blood very quickly, so the blood gets trapped.

Mayo goes on to say… despite its appearance, the eye bleed looks worse than it is and should cause no change in your vision, discharge or pain. The only discomfort may be a scratchy feeling on the surface of the eye.

I didn’t have any pain or swelling and the blood was only in the white part of my eye that first morning. Since then blood has spread across most of my eye. We also noticed a tiny bump by my outer eye a few days later so it’s possible it was a bug bite, but no issues or pain.

But I sure look weird – esp. with makeup on one eye and the other looks … just gross. Too bad it didn’t happen a few weeks ago since it would’ve been cool for Halloween.

Cedars-sinai.org says most people will not need any treatment and the subconjunctival hemorrhage will go away in a few weeks. It will turn from red to brown then to yellow.  

(Adding below photo on Day 14 since initial bleed – mine went from red to yellow.)

Now … since we’re on the topic of eyes, we also wanted to share some first aid tips about Eye Injuries in general from our preparedness and first aid manual.

Things to watch for…

Severe or constant pain or burning

Object stuck in the eye (like a piece of metal or glass)

Redness and swelling

Blurry vision, trouble keeping eye open, light sensitive

Vapors or fumes in the air

What to do…

• Avoid rubbing eye since this can cause more damage.

• Have victim sit down with their head tilted backwards.

• Wash hands before touching eye area.

• If injury is from a chemical, make a note of the name for Poison Control if possible.

If the injury is a loose foreign object:

• Gently separate eyelids to see if you can locate a foreign object – can try removing it by wiping gently with damp tissue.

• Ask victim if he/she wears contact lenses, and if so, ask him or her to remove them.

• Have victim lean over sink or lie on back, hold eye open, and gently flush eye with lukewarm water or a saline solution.

• Get medical help if you are not successful.

If there is an object sticking out of the eye:

• Put thick soft pads around the object that is sticking out.

• DO NOT try to remove or press on the object!

• Carefully wrap with a roller bandage to hold thick pads around the object.

• Get medical attention immediately!

If injury is from a blow to the eye:

• Apply an icepack to reduce pain and swelling.

• Seek medical attention if damage to eye or blurred vision.

If the injury is from a chemical:

• Call your local Poison Control Center (or 1-800-222-1222 in the U.S.) and have name of chemical handy, if possible.

• If victim is wearing contact lenses, ask Poison Control if they should be removed and whether to keep or dispose of them! If okay and able to take out, ask victim to remove lenses.

• Have victim lean over sink, lie down, or get in shower – hold eye(s) open, and gently flush with lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes. (If only one eye has chemical in it, make sure head is turned so it doesn’t pour into the other eye.)

• Tell victim to roll eyeball(s) around while flushing to wash entire eye.

• DO NOT press or rub the eyes!

• May want to cover eyes with clean dressing & bandages but ask Poison Control or check label on bottle. For example, if chemical is mustard gas (sulfur mustard) you should not cover eyes … but wear shades to protect them.

• Get medical attention immediately!

Things you should NOT do…

• DO NOT try to remove an object that is stuck into the eye!

• DO NOT try to remove their contacts (if any)… let the victim do it!

• DO NOT try to move the eyeball if it comes out of the socket!

Things you SHOULD do…

• Protect your eyes with safety glasses or goggles when playing sports or working with tools or chemicals … and wear shades during the day (to help reduce UV exposure).

• When an eye injury occurs, have an ophthalmologist (an eye physician and surgeon) examine it as soon as possible. You may not be realize how serious an injury is at first.

Find more first aid and preparedness tips in USFRA’s Family Preparedness and First Aid ebook (288-page PDF only $5) and download a free 68-pg portion of it at www.usfra.org/fedhealth (Proceeds benefit the U.S. First Responders Association and our nation’s heroes.)

Stay safe ~ j & B