Top Summer Safety Tips To Keep You Out Of The ER
When the weather warms up in Texas, kids and adults alike can’t get outside fast enough. And after spending the last few months inside, your summer plans may include more outdoor time than ever before. But no one ever expects to spend time in the ER.
“Summertime is when we get excited about doing our favorite outdoor activities such as boating, biking, cookouts and vacations, just to name a few. Unfortunately, summer is also a critical time for injuries,” says Kimberly McFarland, M.S.N., R.N., the trauma injury prevention coordinator at Texas Health Fort Worth.
Here are a few injuries seen frequently during the summer months and some ways to keep them from turning your fun in the sun into a trip to the ER.
Mower Injuries
Whether it’s building a fort in the backyard, playing a little game of catch or simply just trying to keep up with the Joneses, summer calls for a nicely mowed patch of grass, which unfortunately lands some people in the ER.
McFarland states that while you may not suspect it, unfortunately, lawnmower injuries do happen. But there are easy steps you can take to prevent them by wearing proper equipment such as goggles, long pants and sleeves and proper footwear. Do not wear flip-flops or go barefoot while mowing.
McFarland also advises to keep children a safe distance away from the area being mowed and never allow them to be passengers on a riding lawnmower. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be at least 12 years of age before operating a push lawnmower and 16 years of age before operating a riding lawnmower.
Lake Safety
“Unlike backyard pools, a lake can be unpredictable. There can be unseen obstructions that can lead to injury,” says Stephen Rush, M.D., a trauma and critical care surgeon at Texas Health Fort Worth.
In 2018, there were 204 boating accidents in Texas, resulting in 85 injuries and 35 fatalities. Of those fatalities, nearly 84% of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.
One of the main culprits of boating accidents is alcohol. More than half of all people injured in a boating accident consumed alcohol beforehand, and 19% don’t live to tell the tale, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Drinking and boating is a recipe for disaster,” Rush adds.
To keep your family safe on the lake, never swim alone and never rely on toys like inner tubes and water wings to stay afloat.
With that in mind, integrate a buddy system and designate at least one adult to keep an eye on everyone who is in the water, especially children. According to the CDC, drowning victims rarely call for help or wave their arms, making drowning a silent killer. It’s also a fast killer. Within three minutes, or the time it takes you to reapply sunscreen or grab your phone, most people become unconscious.
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, everyone should wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD) when boating, and all children under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket. Unlike pool toys and water wings, these devices are designed to keep swimmers safely floating about the water.
Dehydration
When you’re having so much fun outdoors, it’s hard to remember to take a water break or sit in the shade for a bit to cool down. Unfortunately, not drinking more fluids than you’re sweating out or being in the direct sun for too long can lead to dehydration or heat stroke.
The first signs of dehydration include extreme thirst, little or no urination, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, rapid breathing and heartbeat and fever.
Since heatstroke is the most severe form of dehydration, it’s important to manage your dehydration once you notice the first signs.
Heatstroke is when your internal temperature rises to dangerously high levels, similar to having a very high fever. Symptoms of heatstroke are the absence of sweating despite the temperature outside and your level of activity, skin that is hot to the touch, hallucinations, fainting or seizures.
Preventing both is simple: Drink plenty of water; take regular breaks, preferably in the shade; and plan your outdoor activities early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is not as high in the sky.
If you suspect someone is suffering from a severe form of dehydration or heatstroke, bring them indoors, have them lie down and cool them off with ice packs and cool cloths as someone else calls 911.
Sunburn
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and affects more than 2 million people each year. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has more than doubled in the last 30 years.
Patrick Keehan, D.O, a dermatologist and physician on the medical staff at Keehan Dermatology, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice, says sunscreen application should be a part of your daily routine, no matter what season it is.
To properly cover your body, you would need enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass. If applied correctly and reapplied every two to four hours, SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 stops about 97% of UVB rays and SPF 50 obstructs 98% of UVB rays.
And ladies, just because your foundation may have an SPF rating, it doesn’t mean you can skimp on the sunscreen, since most women don’t apply enough makeup to get the full protective effect.
For a product with an SPF rating of 20, a light coating may only provide protection equivalent to a 10. So make sure you’re applying a sunscreen first, then applying your makeup.
Food Poisoning
Cookouts and picnics are popular in the summer, which can pose the potential for food to reach unsafe temperatures.
Food poisoning puts countless people in the hospital every year, hitting its peak in the summer months. To be safe, use a food thermometer when cooking to make sure meat, poultry and fish are cooked to a safe internal temperature. After everyone has eaten, also make sure to put items in the refrigerator or an adequately cold cooler within two hours of serving.
To keep food poisoning from ruining your cookout or family gathering, the U.S Department of Agriculture advises to thoroughly wash your hands and all surfaces where you’ll be preparing food. Store meat in a separate container from any other food items. Steaks should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees, ground beef and pork to 160 degrees and poultry to 165 degrees.
To read the full article, click here. This article was provided by Texas Health Resources.
