Tag: safety

Winter is here and it is just the beginning of cold weather. This is the time to plan for the next six months. Here are some reminders for you, for your health and your safety.

First, we have to prepare ourselves for our own safety with winter jackets and shoes. Second, we should make sure our home and vehicles are ready for winter. You should prepare for power outage and outdoor activity. We should not forget to check on our older neighbours and relatives.

Install good quality windows. Insulate water lines which are close to exterior walls. Check your heating systems. Have your heating system serviced. Fireplaces and chimney should be checked.

Smoke detector batteries should be tested and replaced twice a year.

Carbon monoxide detectors. If you don’t have one then get one. Change the battery when you change your clocks. Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless. Symptoms of poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

Prepare your vehicle for winter. Get it serviced before winter sets in. Keep the gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.

It is a good idea to carry emergency winter kit in your car. Especially, if you do a lot of out-of-town driving for work or pleasure. Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car.

If you are stuck in your vehicle and are waiting for help then run the motor (and heater) for about 10 minutes per hour. From time to time open one window slightly to let in air. Make sure that snow is not blocking the exhaust pipe – this will reduce the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Don’t forget to check on your neighbours. Make sure your pets stay inside.

To be safe is important. It is also important to enjoy the winter outdoors. There are many healthy winter sports which are popular in Canada. Especially, in Alberta we are blessed with beautiful mountains and snow.

One can enjoy ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hockey, curling, ice fishing and more. If you don’t like to be out in the snow then you can join a gym and do some indoor workout.

Most common causes of injury in winter sports are falls and collisions. You can substantially reduce the risks with common sense and proper planning, preparation and equipment.

Studies have shown that the participants in the cold-weather games are going through events at faster speeds and spend more time in the air than those competing in warm-weather sports. Risk of injury increases.

Enjoy the winter safely. Make sure you have the right clothings, equipment and training. Be involved in group activity so help is there in case of injury. Have fun!

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

Winter is here! Some people have died. Some have exacerbation and/or complication of their pre-existing conditions. Some have broken bones. Some have flu. Some are depressed.

The lucky ones – if that is an appropriate word for them – are in Hawaii or Florida. Some are in Arizona or Palm Springs. Some are on a cruise in Bahamas or South America. Some are on the big mountains, gyrating down the slopes on their ultra super speed skis.

The big chill does create a new dynamics in peoples’ lives. As soon as the leaves start gathering on the ground, we are gripped with fear or joy depending on what we have planned for the snowy days.

But we carry on. Sometimes smiling, sometimes annoyed and sometimes angry. Each morning, we get ready for work in our best winter clothes. At work, the heating is on and the windows are shut. Your comfort level goes down. Your smile fades and your layers start coming off. You look out of the window for some inspiration and comfort. You see a pile of snow. You feel trapped.

Do you find this stressful? Does this affect your health?

About 50 per cent of deaths in winter are related to coronary artery disease and blood clots in the brain.

Studies have shown that most deaths occur 24 hours after cold days. This appears to be due to brief rather than prolonged exposure to cold. Resulting in rapid changes in the blood viscosity, formation of blood clot and increase demand for oxygen by heart muscles.

Those who are already known to have coronary artery disease are prone to spasm of these vessels. This further aggravates the risk of heart attacks. Asthmatics run the risk of aggravating their condition by inhaling cold air especially during exercise.

The precise mechanism of cold-induced changes is being hotly debated by the experts. Engorgement of blood vessels and release of substances which produce spasm of lung vessels are responsible for asthmatic attacks.

Patients with Raynaud’s disease suffer significant spasm of blood vessels of hands and feet when exposed to cold. This occurs mainly in young healthy women. Their blood vessels are extremely sensitive to cold or emotions.

In most of these conditions, the underlying mechanism appears to be the effect of cold on blood vessels.

Asthmatics, who want to enjoy winter sports, should keep inhalers (bronchodilators) handy at all times. People with heart problems should wear a light face mask to maintain a favorable air temperature and humidity during exertion. Warm clothings, mittens, gloves and socks should protect the rest of the body from the big chill.

Remember, better safe than sorry! We still have almost four months of winter to enjoy. Keep smiling!

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

Some years ago a car hit my cousin while he was crossing a street on pedestrian crossing. A driver ignored a clear sign to stop for pedestrians. Probably the driver was distracted by something he shouldn’t have been doing. My cousin had concussion and was in a hospital unconscious for several days. He recovered and went home. But he was never the same. Some years later he committed suicide.

In Medicine Hat, I think 13th Avenue is quite unsafe. It is one of the busiest streets with several businesses and seniors residencies all cramped together. Businesses like gas station, Co-op, car wash, banks, doctor’s office, dental office, golf course, Alberta Motor Association – just to name a few – are all busy with traffic going in and out of their parking lots. I think 13th Avenue is very unsafe.

If a vehicle hits you then the chances of sustaining head injury and broken bones is very high if you are lucky enough to survive. Studies have shown head injuries have been associated with subsequent suicide among military personnel.

A study from Ontario (CMAJ April 19, 2016) looked at the long-term risk of suicide after a weekend or weekday concussion. They identified 235,110 patients with a concussion. Their mean age was 41 years, 52 per cent were men, and most (86 per cent) lived in an urban location. A total of 667 subsequent suicides occurred over a median follow-up of 9.3 years, equivalent to 31 deaths per 100,000 patients annually or three times the population norm.

Weekend concussions were associated with a one-third further increased risk of suicide compared with weekday concussions. The paper concluded that adults with a diagnosis of concussion had an increased long-term risk of suicide, particularly after concussions on weekends.

The authors of the article suggest greater attention to the long-term care of patients after a concussion in the community might save lives because deaths from suicide can be prevented. More important and better option would be to prevent injuries to the head completely.

Last year, a movie, Concussion, a biographical sports drama thriller was released in the U.S. It is a true story based on the exposé “Game Brain” by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. It is a true story.

Set in 2002, the film stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist of Nigerian origin with the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coroner’s Office. Omalu fights against efforts by the National Football League to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A kind of brain degeneration suffered by professional football players from repeated injuries to the head.

Head injuries can be prevented. For example, heavy alcohol consumption contributes to one-third of motor vehicle collisions. Medical warnings by physicians to patients who are potentially unfit to drive are effective for preventing serious collisions. Let us make our roads safe, vehicles safe, sports safe. Let us prevent head injury, disability and death.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!