When we're suddenly faced with an emergency, it's surprisingly easy to panic. A pan catches fire while you're cooking, an electrical wire starts sparking, or something goes seriously wrong when you're completely unprepared—and suddenly, even the simplest decision can feel difficult to make. But wouldn't it be better if we knew a few useful things beforehand, so we could stay a little calmer and know what to do when those random situations happen?

That's exactly why we dove into a Reddit thread where people were asked to share a fact that had actually saved their life. Some of the answers are simple things you might never think about until you desperately need them, while others could genuinely come in handy during an emergency. Keep scrolling, Pandas—you never know when one of these little pieces of knowledge might come in handy.

#1

You can develop an allergic reaction to anything at any time- yes, even as an adult and yes, even to things you've eaten/touched before and been just fine. If it looks like an allergic reaction and feels like an allergic reaction, don't waste time on "but I'm not allergic to anything!!", GO to the emergency room. The most common allergy to develop in adults is shellfish.

In a similar vein, your "minor" allergy to whatever can also develop into a major allergy at any time. Don't be that guy who's like "aw, I just get a minor tingle when I eat that, whatever" and consumes it anyway.

#2

If you hear a lawn sprinkler where there is no lawn sprinkler it's a rattlesnake.

#3

If you're ever in a car accident and feel fine, still go get checked out. Internal bleeding doesn't always announce itself and by the time you feel it you're already behind.

Pandas, today’s list is full of useful facts that could genuinely come in handy, so we thought it was a good time for a quick winter refresher as well. With colder weather approaching in many parts of the world, plenty of us will soon be pulling out our warmest jackets, getting excited about the first snowfall, and maybe even heading outside to build a snowman or have a little fun.

And while playing in the snow can be perfectly harmless, there are a few things worth remembering when temperatures start to drop. For example, eating large amounts of raw snow isn't a great idea. Snow can contain dirt, pollutants, and microorganisms, and eating enough of it can also make it harder for your body to maintain its core temperature because your body has to warm the very cold snow to body temperature. That doesn't mean eating a little snow will suddenly cause hypothermia, but if you're already cold and exposed to freezing temperatures, consuming large amounts isn't going to help you stay warm.

#4

If a tornado looks like it’s standing still it’s because it’s coming directly towards you.

#5

If you get caught in a rip current swim parallel to the beach until you're out of it, then head back in. fighting straight toward shore is how people get exhausted.

#6

Just remembering to be calm in an emergency situation will massively increase your survival chances.

This seems like obvious advice, but keeping this in mind has saved more people than anything else.

Speaking of hypothermia, severe cases can cause confusion and unusual behavior. In some cases, a person may paradoxically feel hot and begin removing their clothing despite being dangerously cold. If you see someone behaving strangely or taking off layers in freezing conditions, don't assume they're simply being careless—hypothermia can affect judgment and awareness, so they may need immediate help. Other warning signs can include intense shivering, slurred speech, unusual tiredness, poor coordination, and increasing confusion. The condition can become life-threatening, so getting the person somewhere warm and seeking medical help is important.

#7

If you find yourself in trouble in the water and don't have a lifejacket (eg. swimming) always float on your back. Float all the way back (ears submerged) and take a big breath to inflate your stomach. Then just try and relax and let the water hold you. Basically, lie down on your back and try and get as much air inside you to be as floaty as possible. I've panicked once or twice in deep water- I'm a swimmer- and this has helped calm me. It could save your life.

#8

Livestock are dangerous, period. All of them. Goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, ...even chickens. Don't approach them, stay on your side of the fence. They are not pets, they have not been trained, and they don't know you at all. They are filthy and have all sorts of bacteria. Even if you survive the initial goring, you might pass from infection later on.

Additionally don't ignore any bite or scratch you get from livestock, or even pets. You can go septic faster than you think, and faster than you are even aware of. You can be gone in days.

#9

Because I’ve seen this myth all over social media, NO, a mammogram will NOT give you cancer, and it won’t “pop” your cancer if you have it. Yes, mammograms are uncomfortable and can be slightly painful, but they are the best tool we have to screen for breast cancer. The radiation you get from a mammogram is so minimal that it’s almost none. If you qualify, get the mammogram. It could save your life.

And while staying warm is obviously important, there's also such a thing as working too hard in the cold. If you're working outside or building a snow shelter, be careful not to let yourself become soaked with sweat. Strenuous activity can make you surprisingly warm even when the air temperature is below freezing, and wet clothing loses much of its insulating ability. Adjusting your layers before you start sweating can help keep your clothes dry, which is especially important if you'll be outside for a long time or far from somewhere warm.

#10

You won't harm someone who's collapsed and unconscious, by attaching an Automatic External Defibrillator to them,unless you hit them over the head with it!
There's many around public places now and they make a huge difference to Cardiac Arrest survival.

#11

If you're ever cooking with oil or grease and it catches fire, DO NOT USE WATER. The oil or grease will instantly boil it causing dropleta of flaming oil to go every and create a mini fireball, going from bad to worse faster than you can blink. Turn off the heat and smother the fire with a lid, a thick blanket, or get a non-water based fire extinguisher.

#12

If there's an emergency and you're in a crowd, don't just yell "CALL 911!" etc, point at someone and say "YOU call 911!" and assign other such tasks the same. Otherwise everyone will assume someone else is doing it already. If everyone is doing it, no one is doing it.

Cars come with their own set of cold-weather hazards, especially if you become stranded. If your car gets stuck in a snowbank and you leave the engine running for heat, make sure the tailpipe is completely clear of snow. A blocked exhaust can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside the vehicle, and because the gas is colorless and odorless, you may not realize you're being exposed. Check the exhaust whenever you're stopped in deep snow, and never ignore signs that something may be wrong.

#13

Never administer insulin to an unconscious diabetic person unless you know for **sure** their problem is too HIGH blood sugar, not too LOW.

There are some well meaning folks who only know that "insulin" and "diabetes" are related, so when they see someone in this crisis, they automatically assume insulin should be injected.

#14

Tell someone when you don’t feel safe. Tell the other girls at the bar, tell someone you saw earlier in the night, tell a bartender. Tell anyone.

I’ve been in a situation where I’ve been coerced and brought into a bar when I just wanted to go home. Telling someone (in my case, a familiar face I had seen earlier) alerted them to the situation I was in, then when I finally made a break to the exit that person watched me leave - watched the guy I was with follow me, then chased us down put himself between me and the guy, escorted me to safety and stayed with me until I was not in any danger anymore. I happened to see the people I spoke the next day, the others in the group let me know how I appeared to be having a good time until I told them (I said “hey! I don’t know this guy and he won’t let me leave!”) - and we’re grateful I spoke up - they let me know what happened after I started to leave.
It was scary and really rocked my “independent woman who can fend for herself” persona for a while.

#15

If you (or anyone else) is suspected of having a concussion or a head injury, that person cannot then determine if they are "fine".

case in point: colleague got hit HARD in the head by a baseball. We all asked "ArE yOu OkAY?!?" and they said "oh wow that was wild! yeah I think I'm ok!" because they didn't to cause a scene/ distract from the group event, etc.

They were in fact NOT OK. The person with the injured brain is NOT the person to ask if they're ok - the brain doctor is the only person to ask.

Winter roads can be just as unpredictable as winter weather, particularly when temperatures hover around freezing. Black ice is notoriously difficult to spot because it can look almost exactly like an ordinary wet patch of road. If the road looks wet but the conditions are cold enough for ice to form, slow down, avoid sudden steering or braking, and leave plenty of extra distance between your vehicle and the one ahead.

#16

As an Australian, one of the first things we’re taught as a kid is if you’re ever caught in a rip current, swim ***parallel*** to the beach until you feel the water release you. If you try to swim directly for the beach, you are only going to exhaust yourself and you’ll end up succumbing to the pull of the ocean and drowning.

You cannot fight the ocean and win. Your best bet is to stay calm and swim parallel across from the beach—taking breaks to float and catch your breath if you feel yourself get too exhausted—until the rip spits you out, at which point you are safe to then swim directly to the beach.

Every year we see so many tourists drown on our beaches because they don’t know the first rule of water safety here—don’t fight the rip.

#17

If you find yourself buried in an avalanche... spit before trying to dig yourself out to determine which way is up so you don't dig deeper into the snow.

#18

If you’re trapped in a burning building, stay low. Smoke rises, and the air closer to the floor can be more breathable.

Snow can also hide dangers for people enjoying winter activities on foot or on skis. Avoid getting too close to the trunks of evergreen trees when there's deep snow on the ground. Low branches can prevent snow from settling evenly around the trunk, creating a hollow area known as a tree well. Falling into one can be extremely dangerous, particularly if you end up headfirst and become trapped in the loose snow. This can lead to snow-immersion suffocation, a potentially fatal situation that occurs when a skier or snowboarder becomes buried in snow and is unable to breathe. If you're skiing or snowboarding in deep snow, staying within sight and earshot of your companions can be especially important, since someone trapped in a tree well may not be able to get themselves out or call for help.

#19

Pneumonia sounds like crinkling bubble wrap, like you are moving around a sheet of bubble wrap. Apparently that's the sound that your lungs make when you have fluid rubbing against the air sacs in your lungs. Pneumonia just about ended me and I would have been so much better off if I had taken that sound seriously on Wednesday vs being hospitalized a few days later on Saturday.

#20

If you're evacuating a commercial building in a fire and find a gate across the stairwell, that's your clue to leave the stairwell. The gate is there to warn you that you are going underground and won't be able to escape.

#21

You can do the Heimlich on yourself. You need a chair or something hard to press against.

I knew someone who passed eating hard candy at his house alone. I can't imagine how panicky he must have felt. .

#22

If you ever get stuck in quicksand, don’t panic, don’t move around too much, and try to flatten yourself out and “swim” to the side. Saved my life less times than I can count.

And while we're on the subject of staying warm, here's one household safety reminder that's easy to overlook. Keep portable space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including curtains, blankets, bedding, and furniture. They should also sit on a stable, level surface and be switched off when you leave the room or go to sleep. A heater may seem harmless when you're simply trying to warm up a chilly room, but it can become a serious fire hazard when used carelessly.

#23

Whatever happens, if someone tries to kidnap you or force you to go somewhere, FIGHT TILL YOU D*E. Once you reach the secondary location there's almost zero hope of getting out alive.

#24

When you go to any public place like a theatre or cinema, look where your nearest two exits are and think about how you’ll get to them from where you’re sitting. My dad worked in fire insurance and always impressed on me that lots of people in a fire emergency situation d*e from crush injuries with people panicking and acting erratically trying to get out. Your best bet is to have already thought about it.

#25

**If you wake up and find a bat in your bedroom, go get a rabies shot immediately, even if you don't think you were bitten. Bat teeth are so tiny you often can't feel or see the bite, and by the time rabies symptoms appear, it's 100% fatal.**.

#26

If you see a snake, it's important to remember that colours don't matter, and rhymes are dumb. Just leave the snake alone. Don't poke it. Don't pick it up. Don't try to take a selfie with it. Just leave it be, and chances are it will leave you be. And do not k**l any snake. They're all more beneficial than you are.

Especially in North America if you get bit by a snake, it's probably your own danged fault, and you should take any damage as your just reward.

And coming back to today’s post, these are facts that aren't just worth remembering when there's snow on the ground. Emergencies can happen unexpectedly at any time, and knowing a few basic safety precautions can make it easier to stay calm and react when something goes wrong. So, Pandas, which of these safety facts did you already know, and which one surprised you the most?

#27

Being polite and not wanting to offend someone makes women easy targets. Never let someone pressure you if you can say no and get loud, safely.
It might save your life. .

#28

Even if you are an Olympic swimmer, still wear a life jacket when kayaking. I've known many excellent swimmers drown because they refused.

#29

Paramedics won't saying anything to cops so saying nothing to cops and everything to paramedics.

#30

How to recognize a stroke: BE FAST

Balance: dizziness, headaches, or loss of balance

Eyes: blurred vision

Face: one side of the face is drooping

Arms: arm or leg weakness

Speech: having difficulty with speech

Time: now it's time to call an ambulance

And don't be like my mom and go into a locked bathroom to give yourself a stroke test in the mirror!

#31

If you fall asleep every time you sit down for longer than a half hour, something is wrong. My husband was doing this and he had sleep apnea. I was doing it and I had 2 autoimmune diseases. Feeling tired all the time isn't normal, even if you are a mom or you work a full-time job.

#32

If you are ever in psychosis or a state that you can feel and see things that people around you say are not there (i.e. scorpions crawling on you and snakes on your bed) you can take a picture of the area on your phone and you know the picture is 100% your reality at that specific time. That will help you cope with the mental strain of seeing and feeling things others dont see and it also helps to not get aggressive or irritated at the people who keep saying those things aren't there or call you crazy when you genuinely can't help it.

I had gone into psychosis from a terrible infection and when I took the picture and looked at it I was able to calm down and realize I was unwell and go to the ER. Before that I was really mad because I thought people around me were just not paying attention or thought I'd lost my mind.

#33

If you lie to doctors about your illegal substance usage prior to anesthesia, you might wake up while still on the operating table.

#34

After using an epipen, go to the hospital. The epipen wears off and the allergic reaction continues. The epipen just gives you time to get real help. A little kid passed away that way in the night, his parents thought he was fine after the epipen so they all went to sleep...

#35

Opposite: if you ever see someone fall overboard on a ship just start throwing anything you can out overboard for as long as possible.. the trash will create a trail of debris to the person and they can be rescued.

#36

If you feel sick/ faint, lie down so you don't fall and hit your head, also turn your head to the side so you don't choke on your vomit if you pass out / have a seizure.

#37

If you’re choking on something, attract people’s attention. Too many people pass away because they go to a corridor or bathroom to try and dislodge the obstruction without bothering others.

#38

As you age, being able to get yourself up off the floor without assistance could mean the difference between life or d***h. I’m a strength and conditioning coach and clients complain about burpees all the time. They always say, “Why do we have to do these?” Like, what do you mean? This is a life skill!

#39

If you’re at the ocean and you see it suddenly receding, it’s soon going to be coming back as a tsunami. Get to high ground immediately.

#40

A sense of impending doom is not just an impression, it could a sign of sepsis, a post-surgery complication or a heart attack (last one especially if you're female, symptoms differ depending on gender).

#41

Rabies is 100% fatal after symptoms develop but 100% preventable if vaccines are provided before symptoms develop. If you have a possible exposure, get the shots.

#42

During a severe storm warning or tornado warning and your in your residence put shoes or boots on. If your house takes a direct hit you won't have to walk on glass and debris to put on shoes.

#43

In life or d***h situations, calm people survive, people who panic d*e.

#44

A "period" in someone postmenopausal is cancer until proven otherwise: go to the doctor, immediately.

Also, heart attacks (can) present differently in women and people assigned female at birth. Know the signs

#45

A lot of fire truck ladders only go up 5-7 stories, and helicopters aren’t gonna come scoop you from the roof. If you’re in a tall building and there is a fire, get down those stairs. If you can’t do stairs get to the stair landing and have people going down let the firefighters know where you are.

#46

Co2 buildup on cars with multiple people when recirculation is turned on is a lot faster than you think. When it builds up, your reaction times are measurably slower, you are less attentive, and overall perform worse. Be careful on those roadtrips y’all!

#47

Tell your doctor every medicine or substance you've taken. Some of them can react fatally with medication they give you so they need to know what's in your system. .

#48

In many places you can text 911. Remember to include your location because texting doesn’t include the same geotracking information that E911 systems use. And if texting 911 isn’t available in your area, you should get a bounce back message that it won’t work.

#49

Women often have different symptoms of strokes and heart attacks than the ones everyone talks about, because those are typically experienced by men.

Women having heart attacks often experience extreme fatigue and sore muscles, so they put it down to over-working and straining a muscle. My mum thought she had pulled a muscle doing some landscaping work and went home to sleep. She's lucky to have woken up.

#50

If someone, particularly and older person, has fallen and is in a lot of pain, leave them lying there until paramedics can arrive to examine them, unless where they have fallen is unsafe. You can injure them further trying to move them if you do not know the proper way to do so.

My mother fell at the entrance to a grocery store while I was pulling the car around to her. I called 911 and had an ambulance on the way and some random guy came up and tried to lift her up, despite multiple people, including myself, telling him to leave her alone until the Ambulance arrived. Turns out she had completely broken her arm up at the ball joint into the shoulder. Her arm has never healed properly from this fall. Had the guy actually tried to move her, he likely would have made things much worse. I almost had to come to blows with him to get him to leave her alone until the paramedics could arrive to examine her and get her properly onto a stretcher to go to the hospital for care.

#51

Never ignore a sudden strong pain in your belly. Especially if you start to feel tired afterward. This advice saved me from bleeding to d***h when an unknown ectopic pregnancy ruptured my fallopian tube.

#52

On a busy highway, call a wrecker and wait in your car if you have a problem. Your car is designed to survive a 70mph impact if another car hits you. Your body isn't.

#53

If someone chokes, but they recover you should still call 911. The lack of oxygen places a strain on the heart that can cause a heart attack, even after the person starts breathing. If paramedics are already on the way, that saves valuable time when they are needed. If there are enough people around, direct someone to flag down the ambulance and point them in the right direction.

#54

1. If you use the subway, be aware of where the switch is to cut power to the third rail, in the stations that you use regularly. If somebody has fallen onto the tracks, cutting the power eliminates the risk of electrocution, and makes it easier for an oncoming train to brake on time. If you're the one who fell onto the tracks, you'll be able to point the switch out to other people, who will be panicking and not knowing how to help you.

2. Everybody has the number for 911 or their country's equivalent memorized, but how many people know the number for poison control? Put it in your phone's contact list.

#55

If you have sudden pain in your head, the worst you have ever had, you should go to the ER. It could be an aneurysm. This is something you should be even more aware of if you have hit your head recently.

Eta: the headache after the fall would be a brain bleed not an aneurysm. Please see u/ThAw2t16 comment below.

#56

Heart attacks are not like in the movies. A heart attack can feel like mild chest pressure, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or pain in the arm, jaw, back, or stomach, not just dramatic chest-clutching.

#57

Charcoal is for outdoor cooking ONLY!! Even if you burn it in a fireplace with a clear chimney it can still fill your house with a d***ly amount of Carbon Monoxide.

#58

If you are filling gas up in a canister, place it on the ground and NOT in your car or trunk. Static energy can create an explosion.

#59

If you throw up and it looks like coffee grounds you're bleeding internally and need to call an ambulance.

#60

If you're ever in a crowd and you feel it start to move like a wave, pulling and pushing you along, GET OUT. That's the beginning of a "crowd crush", where people are packed in so tightly that they begin to flow like a liquid. Eventually, the flow will hit a bottleneck and people will be crushed against any surface and each other to the point of asphyxiation. Anyone who falls will be trampled to d***h.

If you cannot escape immediately, create space around your ribs using your arms and elbows so you can breathe. Don't reach up, as this makes your chest smaller and reduces your lungs' ability to expand again. Focus on keeping your footing with each surge, and try to move perpendicular to the flow, if you can.

If you're wondering why all of this matters, look up the Love Parade and the Hillsborough Stadium disasters. There was also a recent crush at an outdoor party in Korea, I believe. It can happen at any large gathering with lots of people moving into a confined space.

EDIT: Corrected Love Canal to Love Parade. Two very different disasters.

#61

Look both ways before crossing the street. Even if it's green for you. Even if you have right of way you still lose if a car hits you!

#62

Two identical cars on a motorway/interstate.

One doing 70, the other doing 100.

Both see a blockage in the road and because the 100 car has a driver with a faster reaction time, they both hit the brakes at **exactly** the same time and with as much force.

By the time the car doing 70 has stopped, the car doing 100 is still doing over 70.

An extra 30, nearly triples your stopping distance.

#63

Don't ignore a cat bite.

#64

Women lose bone density starting at around 35 years old, and the density loss accelerates during menopause, unless we lift weights and put significant impact on our bones. 50% of women over 65 will break a bone due to osteopersosis. Women account for over 70% of hip fractures, the mortality rate of which is estimated at between 20-33% in women within 12 months of injury. 50% will never gain back full independence.

Society has told women for decades to never lift weights, to get as thin as possible, and to only do cardio. It breaks my heart seeing my grandma, who spent her whole life avoiding weights, become fully wheelchair bound after breaking 9 bones in 3 years from severe osteopersosis.

Please lift some weights, it's never too late to increase your bone density. Osteopersosis isn't s**y.

#65

Don't go down a stairway with both your hands in your pockets.

#66

Never mix bleach with ammonia, it's how chloramine gas is made.

#67

If you are in a situation where you feel so threatened that your first instinct is to attack - think, can I get away or de-escalate this instead?

This training saved my life when my ex threatened me while in a d**g induced psychosis, blocked the exits, took my phone and keys, and was screaming at me about how he thought I was plotting against him. I felt so threatened, my first thoughts were to attack him. But my old kickboxing trainer’s (who was ex military) voice floated across my mind just saying “de-escalate”.

I was able to get myself and my dogs out safely. If I had listened to my first instinct and attacked my ex, I think he would have seriously injured or k****d me. He was 7 inches taller than me, at least 50 lbs heavier, and already thought I was out to get him.

My trainer always emphasized de-escalation and getting the f**k out of there and that really stuck. Do not fight unless you absolutely have to - you will be fighting for your life.

#68

Being a coward and saying no to dangerous "adventures". If you think you won't survive that thing, don't do it.

#69

Trust your gut. If your spider sense is tingling, walk away. Don’t let your ego/emotion put you in a dangerous spot.

#70

That huge curled up piece of metal that looks like a spring?

Example, garages, heavy-truck suspensions, truck lift gates, rail and marine vehicles.

Avoid it completely.

#71

Tuck your chin forward if you're falling backwards and you might avoid a nasty hit to the back of your head and brain damage at the expense of whiplash.

#72

If you find yourself in a heated disagreement with someone don’t assume that because you have something to live for, that is also true for them. Many that have died as a result of a confrontation severely underestimated just how far their opponent was willing to go;.

#73

Know where a semi trucks blind spots are.

#74

If you’re a woman, jaw pain can be a sign of a heart attack.

#75

Do not throw water on grease fires, if you have a fire blanket, use that, but you can also throw baking soda on it which will smother the flames.

Edited to add very important points: do not substitute baking soda with flour or baking powder as these are combustible and will make things a LOT worse!

Use baking soda, cover it if contained in a pot, keep oven closed if the fire is in the oven, or use a fire extinguisher that is safe for electronics.

Stay safe!

#76

You're safer sleeping with your bedroom door shut than open, if there is a fire. The room can be completely untouched by fire if the door is shut, but burned to a crisp if it's open.

#77

If you're ever being dragged underwater by a crocodile, poke it in the eyes. It's the only truly soft spot and will almost always make it let go.

77 Useful Facts That Could Make A Huge Difference In An Emergency

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