First Aid
Warm up your hands and get ready to form a few signs that are appropriate to the medical setting. Your first medical lesson is an easy one. To sign the parts of the anatomy, all you need to do is simply point to the specific body part. Your second lesson will teach you how to form commonly used signs in the medical arena.
DOCTOR: Place the “D” hand on the inside of your left wrist, imitating taking a pulse.
To sign “nurse,” place the “N” hand on the inside of your left wrist, imitating taking a pulse.
To sign “medical,” place the “M” hand on the inside of your left wrist, imitating taking a pulse. It would not be unusual to see a deaf or hard of hearing patient specifically sign “medical” in reference to a doctor or nurse.
HOSPITAL: Use the “H” hand to trace a cross on your left upper arm. Variation: Use the “H” hand to form the sign of a cross on the front of your chest in the area where a person would wear a name badge.
To sign “patient,” use the “P” hand to trace a cross on your left upper arm.
SICK/ILL: Use “open five” hands and touch the middle finger of your right hand to your forehead while simultaneously touching the middle finger of your left hand to your stomach. A facial expression of physical distress aids in emphasizing this sign.
EXAM: Use both “C” hands moving alternately in a series of circles in front of your face, across your line of vision.
PAIN: Point both index fingers toward each other and move them in a back and forth motion. Variation: To demonstrate severity of pain use the same handshape, adding a twist and turn motion. Both variations of this sign can be formed near or on the area of pain. Example, an “earache” would be signed with the index fingers pointing and jabbing toward the ear. A sore throat would be signed in the same manner, this time pointing to the throat, and so forth.
To sign “infection,” slightly shake the “I” hand from right to left, palm facing forward.
To sign “blood pressure,” first form the sign for “blood,” then grasp your left upper arm, imitating the blood pressure cuff.
MEDICINE: Move the middle fingertip of your right hand in small circles on the upturned palm of your left hand.
HEALTH/HEAL: Place both “open five” hands on your chest then move away forcefully closing the hands into a tightly closed fist.
SURGERY: Stroke the thumb tip of the “A” hand, palm facing down, across the chest or abdomen. Variation: Stroke the thumb tip of the “A” hand from the left hand fingertips across the palm to the wrist. The handshape and movement for “surgery” can also be formed and placed at the actual site of any incision or laceration.
BLOOD: Place the right and left “open five” hands, palms facing your body. Move the right hand downward wiggling the fingers while brushing the back of the left hand.
BREATHE: Move both “flat” hands to and from your chest, imitating the movement of breathing.
HEART: Place both index fingers on the chest, trace the outline of the heart starting at the top.
To sign “heartbeat,” first form the sign for “heart,” then hit the back of your right “S” hand to your left palm at chest level a few times, imitating the heart beating.
To sign “heart attack,” first form the sign for “heart,” then hit the fist of your right “S” hand sharply to the palm of your left hand.
IV/INTRAVENOUS: Slide the “V” hand into your forearm, imitating the placement of an intravenous line. Variation: Slide the “V” hand into the back of your hand.
OXYGEN: Place the “curved” hand over your nose and mouth, imitating the shape of an oxygen mask. Variation: Place the index and middle fingers under each nostril, imitating nasal oxygen tubing.
In the medical arena, there are always questions to be asked. All you need to do is to form the shape of question marks. Don't forget to put the dots!
