Have you ever put butter on a burn or heat on a sprained ankle? Well, chances are you were making the injury worse rather than better.

A friend sent me this list of eight basic First Aid myths that can actually cause more harm than good. It covers burns, seizures, sprains, snake bites, nose bleeds, vitamin overdoses, choking and fevers, and it’s pretty much in line with what our First Aid instructors teach.

The only thing I think we’d add is to try a couple of solid back blows before attempting abdominal thrusts (aka “Heimlich Maneuver”) on a choking person.

Of course, if you want more in depth training and practice, you can always take a class.

photo via flickr’s eschipul