Bee stings are least painful when the stinger is removed as fast as possible -- by any means.

Active women are at least twice as likely to suffer serious knee injuries as men, but it's not just athletes who are at risk.

Here's one effective remedy: Keep a bottle of moisturizing lotion in the refrigerator. If you suffer a sunburn, rub the cooling lotion on your skin. Repeat as often as needed.

Sports injuries can be either acute traumatic, which require immediate medical care, or chronic overuse injuries.

Fight the impulse to rub furiously until the dust or dirt is gone. You might scratch your cornea or otherwise damage your eye.

The best way to eliminate sliding injuries is to use bases designed to pop loose when they are struck too hard.

Bruises are a part of life. By the time you notice a bruise, though, it's already started to heal.

Tendonitis is your body's way of telling you, "Enough! You're putting too much stress on this muscle and joint."

Knee injuries account for 25 percent of all sports-related injuries, but proper conditioning can help prevent them.

Although neck pain can be the result of stress, age or injury, it is most often associated with poor posture.

When it comes to parenting, back injury is an occupational hazard. New mothers, whose backs have just endured the stresses of pregnancy and birth, are particularly vulnerable. So are taller fathers and mothers who must bend farther than others to scoop up tots from playpens.

The first and best thing to do with a wound is wash it with soap and cool water. If it's bleeding, elevate it above the heart.

Anyone who doesn't dress warmly enough or gets overheated then chilled while outside risks developing hypothermia.

Would you know what to do if a friend or acquaintance collapsed while you were there? Knowing how to respond in such a situation is crucial to the person's recovery.

We bruise when blood vessels beneath our skin rupture and bleed. As alarming as these purplish marks can be, they're usually harmless. With passing years, however, they become increasingly common with the mildest bump or blow.

Knowing about common injuries and how to prevent them can keep you on track toward achieving your fitness goals.

Back pain is something you don't want to repeat. Recovering properly from a back injury and taking preventive measures can help you reduce your risk of going through it again.

The reasons for back surgery typically vary with a patient's age.

Most children depend on recreational and school sports for exercise and fun. But too many young athletes suffer needless injuries.

Fainting is a loss of consciousness, falling down or needing to lie down, followed by spontaneous recovery. Fainting by itself is not a problem, but it could be a sign of a serious health condition.

Whether you're headed for the beach, the outback or the big city for your summer vacation, you should add a few more items to your to-do list.

A trip to an emergency room (ER) is something you or a loved one may never have to face. But it's wise to know something about emergency medicine in case the unexpected occurs.

To reduce scarring, keep the skin area out of the sun. Ultraviolet rays can darken your scar, making it more noticeable.

Taking a standard first-aid and CPR class can help prepare you for most medical emergencies. The National Safety Council, the Red Cross and many hospitals offer classes. The following suggestions can help you respond appropriately.

If you suffer a serious eye injury, what you don't do immediately afterward may help more than what you do.

If your child gets a tooth knocked out, find it if you can and treat it with care. See your dentist as soon as possible.

Chest pain could be simple indigestion or a heart attack. Knowing the warning signs of a heart attack, and knowing how to respond, could save a life. The following guidelines can help you make the right decisions and take the right steps when seconds count.

If you've sprained your ankle, you know what pain is. But maybe that "sprain" was a "strain" or possibly even a "break." The amount of pain in each case can be virtually equal.

As we age, our bodies change. Knee joints have less cartilage; bones become more brittle and connective tissues less pliable.

Don't wait to think about disaster until you're dealing with one. In the hurried confusion, you're likely to miss important items as you prepare your home or leave to seek shelter.

When you sprain an ankle, one or more ligaments on the outside of your ankle become stretched or torn.

You may think of the ER as a source of the most immediate medical attention, but if your situation is not a real emergency, this isn't true.

More than half of American adults seek medical treatment for back pain at some point in their lives.

Appendicitis, an infection of the appendix, is the most common reason for a child to need emergency abdominal surgery.

You may think wearing goggles is enough to protect your eyes, but many injuries can happen to your eyes that goggles won't prevent.

Neither Olympians nor weekend warriors are immune to tendonitis, ankle sprains, low back problems, and knee pain.

Dogs are responsible for 85 to 90 percent of all animal bites. But, many incidents can be avoided.

A living will tells others how you want to be treated when it comes to life-sustaining measures.

Teen girls who are athletes face unique obstacles when it comes to their bodies and how well they perform.

Stingers occur when the shoulder and head go in opposite directions, the head is moved quickly to one side, or the area above the collarbone is hit.

Common injuries include a twisted ankle, sprained wrist, overextended elbow and damaged knee ligaments. Fortunately, you can take steps to help prevent joint damage.

Every day, injuries send 25,000 children to emergency rooms. Simple precautions could head off most of those trips.

After age 65, your body can't adjust to changes in air temperature -- especially heat -- as quickly as it did when you were younger. That puts you at risk for heat-related illnesses.

Under certain circumstances, people who take insulin can have symptoms that require immediate action and, in some cases, treatment in a hospital emergency room.

Many forms of emergency treatment take place outside the emergency room, and even many surgeries are performed in locations other than a hospital operating room.

When you’re sick, knowing whether you should treat yourself at home or see your doctor can save you time and hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars a year.

Whether you buy a first aid kit at a drug store or put one together yourself, make sure it has all the items you may need, such as medications and emergency phone numbers.

Cuts and scrapes are everyday occurrences, and most can be safely treated at home. Knowing how to clean and care for a cut yourself and when to seek a doctor’s care can help reduce infection and speed healing.

Not only do baby boomers expect to live into their 80s or 90s, but they are expecting to be independent, one expert says.

For many women, a heart attack may feel like a strange discomfort in the back or some other easily ignored sign, instead of crushing chest pain.

Here are suggestions on how to prevent most types of burns.

Most neck pain is caused by sleeping on a bed that’s too soft, poor posture, stress, neck strains or degenerative joint disease that occurs when the joints of the neck become inflamed or a disc pushes outward from its normal position.

Exercise is good for you. You're probably sick of hearing that message. But did you know too much exercise can make you sick?

If you’re heading out of town, and you or your child has allergies or asthma, proper planning can help you keep sneezes, sniffles, wheezing and attacks under control.

The most common causes of head injuries are auto and motorcycle accidents, falls and violent assaults.

People who work in certain occupations, such as nursing, are likely to have back pain. But so can folks who work in an office every day if they don’t take proactive steps to protect their backs.

Sports injury rates could be reduced by 25 percent if all athletes — professionals and amateurs — followed essential safety, conditioning, and preventive strategies.

ER doctors and technology save lives. But some people use the ER simply because it’s convenient, or they don’t want to make a doctor’s appointment.

Pitchers ages 10 and under can throw no more than 75 pitches a game. After that, they can't pitch until they rest for four days.

Most eye injuries can be prevented by wearing the proper protective eyewear.

Scrapes and sprains are a fact of life for most children, so it’s good to know what to do when they come home with a minor injury.

The number of people losing their vision is growing, yet experts say much of this vision loss could be prevented.

Exercise is good for you. But by doing it intermittently, you run the risk of a sports injury.

A good guideline to follow is that a medical emergency is any time your child has an injury or illness you believe threatens his or her health or may cause permanent harm.

Many childhood illnesses are mild enough to be treated at home. But what about when the symptoms are more severe?

In many cases of suicide or attempted suicide, undiagnosed and untreated mental illness—especially depression—is to blame.

When your child acts as if she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, maybe you should check her backpack.

Overall, cosmetics and personal care items are considered safe. But that doesn't mean that there aren't risks associated with their use, particularly if you don't use them correctly.

A traumatic injury to the spine can cause a bruise, a partial tear, or a complete tear in the spinal cord. The most common sites of injury are the cervical and thoracic areas.

It’s important to be aware of a number of signs that can alert you to a serious health problem. Check out these symptoms that shouldn't be ignored.

If you know CRP, you could make the difference between life and death for a stranger or someone in your family.

Rather than helping, common first aid mistakes can make matters worse. Here are a few common first aid falsehoods and what you should do instead.

Can cranberry juice help prevent a urinary tract infection? How about cucumbers for puffy eyes? Read on to find out more about home remedies.

Enroll your child in organized sports groups or clubs that demonstrate a commitment to injury prevention. Coaches should be trained in first aid and insist on proper use of safety equipment.