The 4th of July is a time to celebrate and enjoy our freedom. This year, people may be celebrating even more due to the ability to finally spend time with loved ones and friends. Being a large crowd for fireworks or an event can seem a bit overwhelming. How do you stay safe? If you haven’t been vaccinated, you should avoid large crowds. People are still being diagnosed with COVID. The disease hasn’t miraculously disappeared as some may think. If you are vulnerable or have underlying conditions or have not been vaccinated, do not attend large events for yours and the safety of others.
More on Fireworks
Each year, thousands, of people flock to the emergency room due to firework hazards and accidents. Some are luckier than others; however, these explosives are much more dangerous than most people are aware of. If you are near or setting off fireworks, please use extreme precautions. Even sparklers, which parents think are harmless, can cause severe burns and even affect the eyes of children and adults that think they are completely safe. Use caution this 4th of July and stay safe.
It’s Hot Outside—Use Precautions
Our bodies self-regulate heat by sweating and also through radiating heat back into the atmosphere. When we sweat, we perspire potassium and sodium. Both of these minerals help to control nerve function, water balance, and heart rhythm. When our bodies are hot, the skin radiates heat into the air to normalize our body temperature. However, when the air is sweltering, our bodies can no longer reduce its high temperature this way, as it has nowhere to radiate the heat into or to take in cooler air from, as the temperature is higher than your bodies.
Warm weather makes the heart pump faster, which requires more oxygen. When it’s hot, and we can’t cool down, or breathe efficiently, we complicate the heart’s normal functioning, by putting undue stress on its muscle contractions. Each year during the summer months, more than 8,000 children and teens and over 10,000 adults are admitted to the emergency room due to dehydration.
Make sure to drink plenty of water, seek shade or an air conditioned area and avoid exercising outside in the middle of the day.
BBQ Safety
Food safety is key. Don’t leave meat or dairy products out in the heat; even onions can cause food poisoning if left out too long. The grill can be dangerous if the propane pressure is touchy, the flames are too high or too hot, and many people are unaware of the hidden dangers of wire grill brushes.
When you clean the grill with wire brushes, tiny fragments, and small bristles are left behind and commonly get embedded into the burgers, chicken, corn, potatoes, etc. When these bristles are ingested, people don’t normally even notice until it’s too late because they are difficult to feel in the mouth. The wires can lacerate the esophagus, stomach, intestinal tract, and rectum. It’s a much better choice to clean your grill with a nylon bristle brush. Nylon bristles are much less damaging than wire and easier for the body to get rid of if they are accidentally eaten.
Stay Safe and Enjoy the 4th of July!
Contact Well-Being Medical Center of Naples today at (239) 315-7801.
Dr. Ricardo Martinez
Dr. Ricardo Martinez is an internist in Naples, FL and is affiliated with NCH Baker Hospital. He received his medical degree from Superior Institute of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba and has been in practice 20 years. He also speaks multiple languages, including Spanish. He specializes in hospital medicine, ambulatory care and is experienced in hospice and palliative medicine, bariatric medicine, diabetes mellitus, food allergy, and infectious disease. As of March 16th, 2020, Dr. Martinez has founded Well-Being Medical center in Naples Florida. He is looking forward to providing Medical care within primary care settings and urgent care service throughout the Naples Florida area.