Holiday Injury Prevention Tips
• Traveling — Don’t text while driving, and pull over and take a nap if you are sleepy. If you are tired, coffee is not going to keep you awake; sleep is what you need.
If you are involved in an accident, do not get out of the vehicle because you are apt to get hit.
Make sure your vehicle has a basic first aid and emergency kit that includes blankets, water, food, flares and a flashlight. Also check the fluid levels and be aware of weather conditions.
• Falls — Wear appropriate footwear. Falls often happen at night because people can’t see curbs, parking lot blocks and uneven surfaces. In the house, it’s helpful to pick up rugs and cords.
• Chest pain — Eat and drink sensibly. People tend to consume high-caloric, high-sodium fare at leisure regardless of health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Also, medications may not be compatible with alcohol or certain foods. There’s also the stress factor.
If someone is having pain, do not wait to seek help; call 911. For women, the symptoms could be pain in the shoulder or arm, weakness, nausea, sweating or vomiting. Often people decline help because they don’t want to make a fuss.
• Children — Make sure outlets are covered and medicines are out of the reach, especially at grandma’s house. “You’ve got lots of family there so you are distracted and the next thing you know Johnny’s off in grandma’s medicine cabinet and he’s taken 12 of her blue blood pressure pills,”
Check the suggested age range on a toy’s package. If a toy fits in a toilet paper tube, it’s too small for children under age 3 and is a choking hazard. Make sure kids wear helmets and appropriate gear while breaking in their new bicycles and skateboards.
• Kitchen safety — Be careful when cooking and using knives. Don’t try to cut a bagel in your hand. Use a cutting board and to keep it from sliding around, put a wet rag under it.
Prevent food poisoning by using separate cutting boards, plates and utensils for raw and cooked meat and be sure to cook meat to the appropriate temperature. Keep leftovers tightly wrapped and properly refrigerated. Find out ahead of time if guests have allergies or special dietary needs.
Don’t wear loose-fitting clothes while cooking to prevent smoke inhalation and burns.
Be careful washing and drying dishes to avoid broken glass injuries.
