June is the month in which national safety is recognized – safety on the soccer field, in the workplace, behind the wheel of a car, when riding a bicycle, when approaching an unknown person walking toward you in the park, when beginning a new prescription, staying safe in the summer heat, and in literally every aspect of life.
Many injuries can be prevented when we all take steps to practice safe behaviors. For example, when next visiting your primary care physician, be sure to bring all your medications, over-the-counter products, herbal remedies and supplements with you. Today’s society wants and demands to be seen by specialists and many of those individuals write prescriptions bur fail to advise a patient’s primary care physician this has occurred. If an individual has more than one prescribing physician, there could be an unwanted side effect between two drugs that could be avoided. Patients should know why each and every medication is being taken and what the potential side effects might be.
Falls in the home are common. If you cannot roll up and remove scatter rugs or light bulbs , for example, ask a family member or neighbor to stop by to give you a hand. Remove those rugs that may be a setup for a fall and a resultant fracture. Replace burned out light bulbs so hallways and rooms are adequately lit. Relocate all extension cords so they don’t run across an area of the floor used to get down a hallway or into another room. It’s all too easy to shuffle along and trip. Don’t let it happen to you.
No automobile trip – no matter how long or short – is worth losing a life over. Leave your cell phone in a pocket or glove box until you have the time to pull off the side of the road to call or text. Multi-tasking behind the wheel is extremely bad and should not happen. Devote 100% of your attention to what you are doing. Keep things simple by leaving five or ten minutes early for appointments so there is less pressure getting somewhere on time and you don’t have to speed to do it.
If you plan on attending a sports event and will be exposed to the sun’s rays, be sure to bring a bottle or thermos of water or a sports drink to remain hydrated, and sunscreen also to protect your skin from those damaging ultraviolet rays. It’s all too easy to get caught up in a game, only to find hours after returning home that you got much more sun than you thought possible. Don’t risk something that’s an easy fix with a little preparation.
If you’re young enough and sufficiently fit to ride a bicycle, be sure to wear the most important attire known – a helmet. Elbows and knees can end up scraped and bruised but it’s another thing to put a head back together. If you’re fortunate enough to have a bicycle trail in your town or city park, use it rather than riding on the side of the road or down a city street. Drivers aren’t always courteous and are too busy making it through a yellow light before it turns red to notice you may be in their line of traffic.
Speaking of automobiles, they’re machines that weigh over a ton and have the capability of going much faster than is really necessary. Pay attention to speed limits and abide by them, notice pedestrians, and oncoming vehicles. You may actually want to take the car to work or out for pleasure another day. The answer is to survive the drive today so tomorrow can happen.
Think. Do your part to take steps to lessen the risk for yourself, your loved ones, and even those individuals on the street or in the workplace you may not even know. You’ll be glad you did and so will they.
