Memorial Day Disasters:
HOW TO KEEP A MEDICAL EMERGENCY FROM BUSTING UP YOUR BARBEQUE
11am
GUEST: Dr. David Baron, of Primary Caring in Malibu. He’s also the chief of staff at Santa Monica-UCLA Med center
Segment #1
(11:05)
DON’T GET BURNED BY THAT BARBEQUE!
- Many of the most common holiday emergency room visits have to do with food. And with all that beef on the barbeque, you could end up with a nasty case of food poisoning.
- 76 million Americans get food poisoning every year. About 5000 die.
- Salmonella, Listeria, and Toxoplasma are the three most common food-borne illnesses.
- Food poisoning costs us between $5 and $6 billion in direct medical expenses and lost productivity every year.
WHO’S AT RISK?
- Older adults. Your immune system may not respond as quickly to contaminates as you age.
- Infants and little kids aren’t yet equipped to guard against food-borne illness.
- The same goes for people with chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer or AIDS.
FIVE TIPS FOR GRADE “A” GRILLING:
- Let the leftovers go. Most grilled foods will only last in your fridge for three or four days. And be sure to reheat them thoroughly the second time around.
- Keep it clean. Scrub your grill with soapy water before each use.
- Bust barbeque bacteria. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your burgers are hot enough. And always marinate meat in the fridge, not on the counter.
- Keep ‘em separated. Don’t use the same knife to trim the raw chicken as you would to chop your salad. And wash your hands before and after you handle each different food.
- Watch the clock. Don’t leave food out for more than two hours. Or one hour once the temperature hits 90 degrees.
Segment #2
(11:17)
SPEND TIME IN THE SUMMER SUN WITHOUT GETTING BURNED:
- We know to slather at least SPF 15 to avoid getting burned, but can that tan really hurt you?
- The truth about your tan is that it’s the first sign your skin is injured. You get darker when your skin releases melanin to help block out UV rays to prevent further injury.
- A lot of people head to tanning salons to get a “base tan” before they hit the beach. But there’s no proof that will protect you from burning. Instead, you’re needlessly injuring your skin.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A SUN SCREEN:
- Wear at least SPF 15.
- Check the ingredients for titanium dioxide and zinc oxide—they help your sun block stay on longer. Also try to get a sunscreen with Helioplex. The American Academy of Dermatology says it’s especially good at protecting you from UVA rays.
- Make sure it’s waterproof even if you don’t plan on getting wet. Otherwise, you may end up sweating it off.
****REMEMBER: SUNSCREEN HAS A SHELF LIFE! It’s no good once the bottle’s been open for a year.
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Most people don’t use enough sunscreen. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using about a shot glass’s worth on your body. Your face should get about two tablespoons.
Segment #3
(11:30)
IT’S NOT THE HUMANITY…IT’S THE HEAT! HOW TO AVOID HEATSTROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
- Heat exhaustion will give you cramps, make you nauseous, or give you a low-grade fever. But if you get out of the sun and drink some cool water, you’ll usually be okay.
- If someone has these symptoms, watch them closely. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke.
- Heatstroke is characterized mainly by a fever greater than 102 degrees. The person may also become confused, stop sweating, or pass out.
- If you thin somebody has heatstroke, get them into a shady or air-conditioned spot and call 911. Cool the person by covering them with damp sheets or spraying them with cool water. It’s a good idea to fan them as well.
WHAT IF YOU WANT TO WORK OUT WHEN IT’S HOT OUT?
- Exercising on hot days puts extra stress on your cardiovascular systems. It can overstress your body’s temperature-regulation system, resulting in an excessive increase in body temperature.
- Stop exercising immediately if your skin gets pale, cool and clammy, you get heat cramps, or feel dizzy, nauseous or disoriented.
- Prevent heat-related illnesses by staying hydrated. Alternate between water and sports drinks containing electrolytes. Avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea and cola.
- Wear light-colored, loosefitting clothes.
- Exercise in the early morning or late evening.
- Wear sunscreen. Sunburn reduces your body’s ability to cool itself.
- Allow yourself time to get used to higher temperatures. It can take the body up to 12 days to adjust.
Segment #4
(11:38)
WHEN THE DOG BITES, WHEN THE BEE STINGS…WHAT DO YOU DO?
- Young kids—especially boys—are most likely to be bitten by dogs.
- Dog bites involving children have certain common scenarios. For example, a toddler was attacked by the family dog in the backyard; a 4-year-old was bitten by a dog that was guarding her pups, a 3-year-old was bitten in the face when trying to take food away from the family dog.
UNDERSTANDING BEE STING ALLERGIES:
- Getting stung is never a pleasant experience, but it’s even worse for people who are allergic to bee stings.
- While it’s normal to experience pain, swelling, redness, and itching or burning around the sting, a severe allergic reaction could kill you.
THREE REASONS TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR AFTER A BEE STING:
- You experience swelling around the eyes, lips tongue or throat, have difficulty breathing, or experience any other symptom of anaphylactic shock.
- You already know you’re allergic.
- You’re at risk of anaphylactic shock, even if your reaction to previous stings was mild.
Segment #5
(11:47)
POOL SAFETY IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN STAYING IN SHALLOW WATER:
- You may have picked up that intestinal bug from your pool.
- The CDC says swimming pool infections are inadequate. And kids are especially vulnerable to swimming pool infections. The smaller the child, the more likely they are to get sick.
- Nearly 40 percent of inspected pools had problems with the water chemistry. That means germs could easily grow there.
- The same amount had issues with their filtration systems.
- Nearly one in four kids’ wading pools had chlorine violations.
AND POOL WATER CAN BE RISKY DURING PREGNANCY:
- British researchers found that a chemical by-product of chlorine can cause miscarriages, low birth weight, and birth defects.
- Public pools often add extra chlorine during peak swim hours as a shock treatment to kill germs. The good news is it also decreases the harmful byproducts that could cause problems.
THAT RASH COULD BE FROM THE HOT TUB:
- The warmer water in hot tubs and spas so chlorine or other disinfectants break down faster.
- That puts you at risk for skin infections like dermatitis, especially when the tub’s chemistry is off.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
