A fun day out with the kids at a trampoline park, fueled by some energy drinks (and a Tylenol for your hangover) that ends with petting some gorgeous local dogs sounds like a lovely day for most, but those seemingly lowkey activities would leave an emergency room doctor panicking.
A recent video posted to TikTok by Claire Edwards (username @theclairenecessities) titled “Things my doctor husband does and does not care about” prompted other health professionals to weigh in and add their own personal favorite list of activities and items that either stress them out — or leave them unbothered.
The Independent spoke to Dr Jason Idelson, clinical chief of corporate medicine at City MD, and Dr Anita Singh, chair of high acuity urgent care centers in New Jersey, to find out what common injuries they see, and which things don’t concern them.
Trampolines
Edwards’ TikTok raised concerns over keeping children well away from hazards. As well as “pointy objects,” people were quick to urge caution over bikes, backyard pools, and especially… trampolines. Yes, jumping up and down on a big matted platform surrounded by metal springs is great for practicing somersaults — and injuring yourself.
“I’m convinced trampoline parks are owned by orthopedic surgeons,” wrote the partner of an ER doctor in the comment section. “Ortho wife here there’s at least one kid a week in the clinic due to the trampoline park,” agreed another, adding a money emoji.
Idelson, who has four children of his own, echoed the sentiment. “There’s the age-old saying that ‘if you want to meet your local ER team – buy a trampoline,” he tells The Independent. “Trampolines are a ton of fun… but the reality is, they’re very dangerous for many reasons.”
Tick bites
With summer approaching fast both Idelson and Singh warn people to “stay vigilant” against the presence of ticks in clothing if hiking or in nature – as tick-borne diseases are common, and can be serious if not treated quickly. Reported tick sightings are nearly double already this year, with experts believing this may be our worst season yet.
People are often scared to take ticks off by themselves, Singh says, though it’s perfectly possible to do. “Use tweezers, grab close to where it’s attached to the skin and just give it a good twist and pull up and usually like that,” she says.
Make sure to give them a strong tug, as it can often be difficult to remove them, she adds. To prevent needing to pull one out, wear the right clothing, including items that cover your arms and legs appropriately.
Energy drinks
In her video, Edwards apologized to dietitians before revealing that her husband does not care about drinking energy drinks – though several actually jumped in to agree.
“I don’t care about energy drinks. Some days they are the only thing giving me the will to live,” wrote one, with another adding: “I don’t give a rip about energy drinks as long as someone doesn’t regularly exceed 400 mg caffeine per day and the drink is low sugar or sugar free.”
Caution is needed though, says Idelson, noting that some drinks can have the equivalent caffeine of five cups of coffee. “We see a lot of people, particularly in the emergency department, coming in with arrhythmias of the heart because they’re drinking too much [caffeine],” he says.
Tylenol after drinking
A big no-no for ER doctors is taking acetaminophen (commonly sold as Tylenol) after drinking alcohol to help ward off a hangover. Both substances are processed by the liver, and alcohol can get in the way of the liver safely metabolizing the substance, which can lead to liver damage or even failure in serious cases.
Ibuprofen, on the other hand, is not cleared by the liver – but you should still be careful. In excess, Ibuprofen can lead to ulcers of the stomach and gastrointestinal bleeds. But the key is always moderation.
“The reality is, one time, if you’re drinking alcohol and you take some Tylenol and you have normal liver function, it’s obviously not going to hurt you,” Idelson says.
Petting dogs and other ‘wild’ animals
Keeping dogs near children is also of concern to ER doctors, with around two million children being bitten each year, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Dog bites are “very common,” says Singh. “The most important thing is to know if that dog is fully up to date with their vaccines.” While facial bites can be quite severe and disfiguring, those in other areas, including hands, carry a higher risk of infection.
Singh adds that people should be discouraged from feeding “wild animals” such as raccoons and squirrels. “People like to feed them for some reason… we probably shouldn’t encourage that, because those kinds of animals possibly carry rabies,” she says.
Magnets, marbles and batteries
Another source of concern for Edwards’ husband is glitter – which is hard to remove from the eyes of small children.
While he hasn’t personally seen the dangers of glitter first-hand, Idelson cautions against the presence of marbles and beads around young ones. “Kids love to stick them up their nose,” he says. “And they’re very difficult to remove.”
The one thing that really scares him though are magnets and button batteries, which Idelson says can be “potentially life-threatening” if swallowed by children. Magnets can detach and reattach while going down, causing strictures or obstructions.
Button batteries, which are small and round, are actually corrosive and can in fact burn holes in the lining of stomachs. “They look cute and kids like to play with them, but.. they’re extremely dangerous and parents need to be super careful,” Idelson says.
