Staying Safe This Weekend

Fireworks are one of the highlights of the Fourth of July holiday. However in the blink of an eye, a mistake can tragically turn their beauty into permanent injury, eye damage or blindness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, seven people died and an estimated 7,000 were treated in emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries in the United States. The CDC estimates that 60 percent of fireworks injuries occur this weekend.

Adults are not the only ones injured from these kinds of accidents. More than four out of every 10 people hurt is a child under 15. More boys than girls are injured.

Bottle rockets, roman candles and sparklers accounted for most of the burns, wounds and “shrapnel.” Most of the problems were to the hands, then eyes and finally the face. In many cases, permanent scarring occurred.

Of those injuries, nearly 1,500 were eye related in the same one-month time frame.

“Fireworks can cause painful eye injuries such as corneal burns or corneal abrasions,” explains Gerami D. Seitzman, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Sinai Hospital. “They can also cause blindness if an explosive particle were to travel into the eye and damage the delicate structures required for sight.”

The best thing you can do is let professionals set off the fireworks and watch the display from at least a quarter-of-a-mile away. Children should be closely supervised around fireworks. Parents should remember that sparklers can be more than 1,000 degrees AND can ignite clothing.

“If the worst happens and someone suffers an eye-related injury, do not attempt to remove a foreign body from the eye,” warns Dr. Seitzman. “It is best to simply cover the eye with a shield or sunglasses and immediately take the person to the emergency room.”

Take Measures to Prevent Falls At Home

Today, U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) was rushed to a Washington, D.C.-area hospital in an ambulance after suffering a fall at his home. Thankfully, the longest-serving U.S.senator in history is expected to recover.

Unfortunately, what happened to Sen. Byrd is not an unusual event among the elderly population. Every 18 seconds in this country, an adult over the age of 65 falls so severely so as to warrant a trip to the emergency room. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2003, 13,700 elderly Americans died from falls.

Could you or a loved one be at risk for falls? A person’s risk for falling is determined by things such as age, a history of falls, medications (some cause dizziness), gait issues and his or her mental state. It’s quite common for people to fall in the same manner Sen. Byrd did – he stood up, felt dizzy and fell.

If you think you could be at risk for falling, discuss with your doctor what steps you should take to prevent falls. Your physician may be able to prescribe you a different medication that does not cause dizziness, and may know of community exercise programs that will help you improve your balance. Also, you should have an ophthalmologist give you a yearly vision check to make sure that you are still seeing clearly.

To reduce your chances of falling at home, do the following:

• Ensure your rooms are lit well enough so that you can clearly see any objects you might trip over. Don’t leave clutter in areas you frequently walk through.
• If you use throw rugs, use double-sided tape to make sure they adhere securely to your floors.
  
• Don’t boost yourself up on furniture to out-of-reach objects – instead, use a step stool. Better yet, put items that you use frequently in cabinets that you can easily reach without a stool.
• Wear shoes that fit well and are not too lose. Rubber-bottomed shoes will give you the best grip, so wear them inside as well as outside.

You may even want to consider having an occupational therapist visit your home. He or she can help you identify potential hazards and let you know what safety modifications you should make to your home – adding grab bars to the bathroom or lights to a stairway, for example.

Are you concerned about your own risk for falls or the risk of someone you know? Have you done anything to make your home safer? For more information, visit the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, or talk to your physician about ways to fall-proof your home. To find a LifeBridge Health physician, call 410-601-WELL (9355).