Table of Contents
Summer is officially here. Temperatures are rising, school is out and people are ready to kick back and relax.
But before you head to a barbecue or the beach, Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida, shared the five “weird” things she tells her patients to avoid during the summer.
From backyard potlucks to cleaning the grill a certain way, the doctor warned in a Tik Tok of broken bones, ‘violent gastrointestinal diseases’ and deadly bacteria lurking in the waters.
“It’s true that these are pretty rare things to worry about, but almost all of these injuries and illnesses are quite preventable,” Dr. Martin told her 1.5 million followers.
Below, DailyMail.com reveals Dr Martin’s summer don’ts.
Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida, shared in a TikTok video the five activities she tells patients to avoid.
Dr. Martin’s Don’ts include gathering to share food, cleaning the grill with metal brushes, and jumping on a trampoline.
Stay away from potlucks
Neighborhood barbecues are a common summer activity, but Dr. Martin suggests being cautious.
“This is when everyone brings a side dish and leaves it out for hours, but people keep picking at it,” he said.
“Maybe the burgers are a little undercooked and everyone has serious gastrointestinal illnesses the next day.”
According to the USDA, it is essential to keep hot foods above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold foods below 40 degrees, as harmful bacteria can grow rapidly between these temperatures.
This is known as the “danger zone.”
The agency recommends throwing away food that has been sitting out for at least two hours, or one hour at temperatures above 90 degrees.
Eating foods that have been out of the refrigerator for a long time could lead to illnesses such as E. coli and Salmonella, which cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever.
These infections affect 1.3 million Americans each year.
Get off the trampoline
A childhood favorite, jumping in the air as if you were weightless. But as fun as it is, Dr. Martin suggests switching to another activity.
She advises people to stay away from trampolines because of the risk of fractures, which usually occurs when the surface of the trampoline recoils just as someone is about to hit it. This causes a severe impact on the body.
“We see a lot of broken bones, especially legs, on trampolines,” the doctor said.
Additionally, purchasing a net or in-ground trampoline will not reduce the risk of the most common injuries because accidents “occur on the trampoline itself,” he added.
The risk also increases when there are more people on the trampoline, because people can fall on top of each other or land awkwardly.
According to Radiopedia, trampoline fractures most often occur in children ages two to five and may require surgery.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there were more than 300,000 trampoline injuries in 2018 (the latest data available). This includes more than 110,000 emergency room visits.
And the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that about four percent of all pediatric fractures in the United States are caused by these devices.
Change metal grill brushes
Dr. Martin detailed the case of a four-year-old boy at her hospital who swallowed a metal grill brush that was stuck in his hamburger.
Keeping the grill clean is essential to preserve the flavor of food and avoid bacteria. However, not all grill brushes used to remove dirt are created equal.
‘Stop using those (metallic) grill brushes. “There are many better options,” Dr. Martin said.
She noted that small pieces of the brush can break off during cleaning, leaving them on the grill surface.
“They get stuck on the grill and then you put a burger on there and eat it,” he said.
‘They lodge in the tongue, mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract.’
This can lead to life-threatening tears.
In a separate video she posted last year, which has 41 million views, Dr. Martin detailed the case of a four-year-old boy who came to her emergency room after eating a burger at a barbecue.
The boy suffered sudden earaches and fever and refused to eat or drink.
After several days of testing, a CT scan of his neck revealed a piece of a metal grill brush lodged near his tonsils.
Instead, Dr. Martin recommended using scrubbing stones, wooden scrapers, washcloths and soft-bristled brushes.
Prepare your insect repellent
Mosquitoes may seem like an unavoidable nuisance, but it’s crucial to protect yourself against the pesky insects.
Dr. Martin explained that some mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases such as West Nile virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected insect.
In rare cases, it can be transmitted from person to person through a blood transfusion or organ transplant.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, West Nile virus can cause fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and pain behind the eyes.
There have been 51,000 cases in the United States since the virus first arrived in the country in 1999.
The CDC recommends using an insect repellent that contains one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
However, DEET and IR3535 may cause eye or skin irritation in people with sensitive skin or allergies.
Be careful when swimming in the lake.
If you plan to enjoy a cool dip in a lake, be sure to cover your nose, the latest Dr. Martin warned.
This is important to protect against the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which is found in warm freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, and hot springs.
The amoeba infects people when it enters through the nose and travels to the brain through the olfactory nerve responsible for the sense of smell.
There it causes inflammation and serious damage.
Symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. Death can occur about five days after symptoms appear.
The damage to brain tissue, primarily to the frontal lobes and areas critical for motor skills, cognitive functions and speech ability, is so severe that people who survive the infection have to relearn how to talk and walk.
“It’s found in fresh water, especially warm southern fresh water,” Dr. Martin said. “It’s avoided by not getting fresh water in your nose.”
‘Do not immerse yourself in freshwater lakes.’
Fewer than 10 Americans contract the condition each year, although the mortality rate is more than 97 percent, even with treatment.
