3 Common Summer Injuries That Are Extremely Preventable - Legacy ER

Summertime means fun in the sun for the majority of people, but for emergency staff, it means overtime.

Urgent cares and emergency rooms see a spike in injuries and traumas during the summer months, especially since people aren’t necessarily in a safety mindset. Usually, the injuries seen are extremely preventable with a little bit of situational awareness.

This summer, instead of contemplating the qualities of an emergency room vs. urgent care in order to figure out where to get treatment, keep an eye out for these sources of common summer injuries.

Sunburns Yes,

sunburns top the list, and for good reason. Sunburns are extremely preventable with a little bit of sunscreen and caution when being out in the sun. If you’re trying to get your tan on out in the backyard, then by all means. Don’t go out with absolutely zero UV protection, though, and try not to fall asleep out there. It’s never fun to doze off face up on a lawn chair and wake up with chest pain because you’re fried to a crisp. You should also know your skin type and your threshold for sunshine. Even on a cloudy day, you can still be exposed to UV rays, so it’s important to lather up as often as needed.

Lawn Mowing Injuries

With summer weather comes the need for landscaping. More specifically, lawn mowing. Unfortunately, lawn mowers are the cause of many emergency room vs. urgent care internal dilemmas. Sticks, rocks, and other objects that lay in the grass can be picked up by the mower blades and shot out of the side like a cannonball. More often than you’d think, someone is on the receiving end. So before you hop on your mower, do a quick canvas of the yard to make sure there isn’t anything that could potentially become ammunition.

Dehydration

When you aren’t taking in as much fluids as your body is expelling, dehydration is right around the corner. During the summer months when the temperature rises and your sweat glands are working double time, this process happens a lot faster. Dehydration can cause headaches, nausea, and many other symptoms that aren’t all that fun to deal with. If it goes on too long without proper treatment, it could potentially be fatal. So help yourself to a bottle of water every so often to replenish the fluid that your body is so eager to get rid of.

Amazingly, over 70% of patients with consumer-sponsored insurance coverage who visit the ER do so for non-emergency or preventable conditions. So rather than using your insurance, or having to pay a copay, or making an unnecessary trip, keep your wits about you this summer and avoid injury altogether.

Emergency room vs. Urgent care? You no longer have to decide. Visit us today for convenient care.