Whether it be the cold, the shoveling or an improper use of heaters, lots of people are ending up in the hospital due to the recent blast of winter weather.
Dr. Miriam Fischer, the senior attending physician in the emergency department at MedStar Health, warned that shoveling this heavy, icy snow comes with dangers.
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“We’re seeing a lot of cardiac events. We’re seeing a lot of muscle strains from lifting and shoveling and pushing that snow,” Fischer said.
Fischer said the risk of exhaustion is compounded by the extreme cold. It can make it harder to feel when you’re overdoing it.
“Some of us are out of shape and you go out and you’re lifting snow, and your body is just not ready to do it,” she said.
The bigger danger is the cold itself. Experts advise keeping trips outside brief, layering up and wearing hats and gloves while braving the bitter cold temperatures.
Many people are ending up in the emergency room with hypothermia and frost bite, Fischer said.
“Thirteen degrees Fahrenheit, -10 degrees Celsius, frostbite can set in in less than 30 minutes,” she said.
A lot of us also use space heaters to keep warm, but Fischer said that comes with a risk, too.
“They can also cause fire and they can produce gas, so don’t leave then unattended. Don’t use them in an enclosed space,” she said.
She’s also telling people, especially dialysis patients, not to cancel appointments.
“We are available. We are open. Make sure you can get to dialysis. Make sure you have a plan to get there. Make sure you are taking your meds,” Fischer said.
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