Emergency pediatrician reveals the 5 ‘weird’ things she tells her patients to avoid every summer
Summer is officially here. Temperatures are rising, school is out, and people are ready to kick back and relax.
But before heading out to a barbecue or a day at the beach, Dr. Meghan Martin, an emergency room pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida, shared five “weird” things she’s telling her patients to avoid this summer.
From backyard potlucks to cleaning your grill a certain way, the doctor warned in a TikTok of broken bones, ‘severe gastrointestinal illnesses’ and deadly bacteria lurking in the water.
“While these are strange things to worry about, almost all of these injuries and illnesses are preventable,” Dr. Martin to her 1.5 million followers.
Below, DailyMail.com reveals Dr. Martin’s summer no’s.
Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency room physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida, shared in a TikTok video the five activities she tells her patients to avoid
Among the things that Dr. Martin’s top things to do include: gathering for a potluck, cleaning your grill with metal brushes, and jumping on a trampoline
Stay away from potlucks
Barbecuing nearby is a summer staple, but Dr. Martin advises caution.
“That’s what happens when everyone brings a side dish and it sits there for hours, but people keep snacking on it,” she said.
‘Maybe the burgers aren’t cooked all the way through and everyone has severe gastrointestinal complaints the next day.’
According to the USDA, it’s important to keep hot foods above 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold foods below 40 degrees, as harmful bacteria can multiply quickly at higher temperatures.
This is known as the ‘danger zone’.
The agency recommends throwing out food that has been outside for at least two hours, or one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees.
If you eat food that has been sitting for so long, you can develop diseases like E. coli and salmonella. These cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever.
These infections affect 1.3 million Americans each year.
Jump 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 due to the risk of breakage, which usually happens when the surface of the trampoline bounces back just before someone is about to jump on it. This causes a severe impact on the body.
“We see so many broken bones, especially legs, on trampolines,” the doctor said.
And purchasing a net or in-ground trampoline doesn’t reduce the risk of most common injuries, because the accidents “happen on the trampoline itself,” she added.
The risk also increases when more people are on the trampoline due to people bumping into each other or landing awkwardly.
According to Radiopedia, trampoline fractures most commonly 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 injuries from trampolines in 2018 — the most recent data available. This includes more than 110,000 emergency room visits.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately four percent of all pediatric fractures in the U.S. are caused by these devices.
Replace metal grill brushes
Dr. Martin described the case of a four-year-old boy at her hospital who swallowed a metal grill brush stuck in his hamburger.
Keeping your grill clean is essential for preserving the flavor of your food and warding off bacteria. However, not all grill brushes used to remove grime are created equal.
“Stop using those (metal) grill brushes. There are so many better options,” Dr. Martin said.
She noted that the small pieces of the brush can break off during cleaning and remain on the surface of the grill.
“They stick to the grill and then you put a hamburger on top and eat it,” she said.
“They get stuck in your tongue, your mouth, your throat, your gastrointestinal tract.”
This can cause life-threatening cracks.
In a separate video she posted last year that has been viewed 41 million times, Dr. Martin described the case of a four-year-old boy who ended up in her emergency room after eating a hamburger at a barbecue.
The boy suffered from sudden earache 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 abrasive stones, wooden scrapers, cloths, and soft-bristled brushes.
Have your bug spray ready
Mosquitoes may seem like an unavoidable nuisance, but it is crucial that you protect yourself from the pesky insects.
Dr. Martin explained that some mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases, such as West Nile virus, which is spread by the bite of an infected insect.
Rarely, 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 aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash and pain behind the eyes.
Since the virus first arrived in the country in 1999, there have been 51,000 cases in the US.
The CDC recommends using a bug spray 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 take a cooling dip in a lake, make sure you hold your nose, Dr. Martin cautioned last.
This is important to provide protection 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 the nose and travels to the brain via the olfactory nerve, which is responsible for the sense of smell.
There it causes serious inflammation and damage.
Symptoms include splitting headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting. Death can occur about five days after the onset of symptoms.
The damage to brain tissue, especially to the frontal lobes and areas critical for motor skills, cognitive functions and speech, is so severe that people who survive the infection must learn to talk and walk again.
“It’s found in freshwater, especially warm, freshwater in the south,” Dr. Martin said. “You avoid it by not getting freshwater up your nose.”
“Do not dive into freshwater lakes.”
Fewer than 10 Americans are diagnosed with the condition each year, and the death rate, even with treatment, is over 97 percent.