Accidents, overindulgence during the holidays can lead to hospital visits
Santa isn't the only one who's busy this time of year.
Emergency department staff are also up to their elbows with injured or sick patients.
One common reason for it is overindulgence.
"Often times we'll see people develop GI problems,” said Dr. Tom Waters of the Cleveland Clinic. “They can also get heart problems and heart failure from taking in too much salt.”
Playing outdoors, especially when it's cold and icy, can lead to slips, falls, breaks and sprains.
Another health hazard can be a home-cooked holiday feast.
“We tend to see a lot of kitchen injuries, such as lacerations from chopping, and also burns,” Waters said. “If people are cooking a lot of things at one time, they're pulling pots out, there's water boiling, and we will see a lot of burns around the holiday times.”
People should stick to their diets, continue taking prescribed medications, listen to their doctor and not overdo it.
“All the things that we do around the holidays that aren't good for us can actually exacerbate their medical problems,” Waters said.
