Avoid These Common Holiday Health Emergencies

For many people, the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. For an emergency room doctor, the combination of overindulgence, travel, slippery sidewalks, and viruses, can lead to a packed waiting room.

Adam Blumenberg, MD, is an associate professor in Columbia's Department of Emergency Medicine and knows firsthand what those holiday health disasters can look like. For example, researchers who studied over a decade of hospital admissions found that Christmas—especially Christmas Eve—brought a 37 percent greater risk of heart attacks.

In Dr. Blumenberg's experience, alcohol contributes to many of the emergencies he sees due to motor vehicle collisions, falls, and impaired judgment.

"Here's a simple thing we all could do: Drink one glass of water for every cocktail or glass of wine. It will help pace alcohol consumption and reduce dehydration,” says Dr. Blumenberg, who urges limiting the overall amount of alcohol you drink. “Please offer non-alcoholic alternatives at gatherings."

In addition, emergencies ranging from carbon monoxide poisoning to chronic condition flare-ups can land a family in the ER, says Dr. Blumenberg.

How to Stay Away from the ER

From kitchen accidents to abdominal pains, here are the top risks to be aware of—and tips from Dr. Blumenberg for avoiding them:

• Winter weather injuries: Slippery streets and sidewalks can cause injuries from a simple sprain to a concussion. In senior citizens, a fall from standing height can cause a broken hip or even bleeding in the brain. Wearing shoes or boots with good traction during winter is critical to avoiding slip-and-fall injuries. Do not be embarrassed to lean on others who may be more stable for support or use a cane if you need it. Layers are also important to prevent extreme cold exposure and frostbite.
• Travel incidents: Thanksgiving and the December holidays are the busiest travel times, which often coincide with bad weather. During the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, more than 50,000 injuries from car crashes required a medical consultation, the National Safety Council estimated. Leave extra time to help ease travel stress.
• Ignored symptoms: If you’re noticing a new or worsening symptom, don’t delay addressing it due to holiday plans. You shouldn’t brush off potentially life-threatening issues, like chest pain, shortness of breath, or numbness on one side of your body. Checking these symptoms and stabilizing emergencies is what the ER is for.
• Food poisoning: Symptoms of food poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can derail an otherwise fun gathering, but often resolve on their own. However, symptoms that are accompanied by abdominal pain (especially in the right lower side), inability to keep liquids down, fainting, or fever (100.4 F or higher) should trigger a visit to the emergency department. Wash hands and cooking surfaces, clean utensils, and cutting boards frequently, and separate raw poultry and meat from other foods to avoid cross-contamination. Use a meat thermometer to ensure everything is cooked to its recommended internal temperature. Also, be sure to store leftovers safely.
• Medication mistakes: Forgetting to refill or pack medication before a trip is a common issue for travelers. If you do leave your medications behind, contact your pharmacy and ask them to transfer your prescription to a pharmacy near you. Keep an updated list of prescriptions on your phone or written somewhere in case you do wind up in the ER, as the doctors need that information.
• Kitchen risks: With all the slicing, dicing, and carving taking place in the kitchen, injuries to the fingers, hands, and arms are common, along with dangerous kitchen flames. Make sure all kitchen equipment, as well as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, are in good working condition. Keep flammable items like paper towels away from the stove and oven. Always supervise children and never leave open flames unattended.
• Flareups of chronic conditions: Certain long-term illnesses, like congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease, can get worse when there’s an uptick of sodium in the diet, as can be the case with holiday dishes. If you have a long-term health condition, be mindful of what you eat.
• Indigestion: Overeating causes burping, cramping, nausea, and vomiting, as well as indigestion, heartburn or acid reflux, and gastritis, which is inflammation of the stomach lining. Consider skipping any fried or spicy dishes and take any preventative medications you may need beforehand.
• Stress-related attacks and burnout: Holiday stress can increase heart rates, anxiety, and panic attacks. Try these tips for de-stressing over the holidays, and consider setting aside time before the holidays to talk through a plan with a licensed therapist.
• Decorating dangers: Decking the halls can pose safety hazards if using shaking ladders or unsafe electrical components. Check outlets and cords and make sure ladders are sturdy. Make sure someone is nearby to help you.

No one can plan for accidents or illnesses, but with these precautionary measures, you have a better chance of safely enjoying the holiday season with friends and family.

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Adam Blumenberg, MD, is an associate professor in Columbia's Department of Emergency Medicine.