StaySafeThisHolidaySeason

Season's Perils Jim Getzinger should have known better. As an emergency physician at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, he treats a regular influx of holiday-related ailments every December. Still, a few winters ago he found himself clambering onto the roof of his house, Christmas lights in hand, when his ladder slipped and he awoke on the ground in excruciating pain. He crawled into the house, and a friend took him to his own ER. His colleagues ordered a CAT scan, which revealed a ruptured and bleeding spleen. If they hadn't surgically removed it, he probably would have bled to death. Getzinger's story is a kind of perfect storm of holiday hazards: Over-the-top decorating, harebrained ideas like walking on roofs, mind-altering stress, a breakneck pace, reluctance to go to the doctor (who wants to skip Christmas?). All that's missing is a family feud. It's no wonder emergency rooms treat nearly 13,000 people each year for injuries related to holiday decorating.

"There seems to be an inverse relationship between common sense and proximity to a holiday," says Alfred Sacchetti, MD, chief of emergency services at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, New Jersey. "The closer you get to a holiday, the lower your common sense seems to go." Here, a guide to the serious and sometimes wacky perils to look out for when greeting the season.

Superhero Syndrome
Holidays seem to bring out the inner Spider-Man in susceptible males, who somehow imagine they can scale tall buildings -- and even fly. Frank McGeorge, MD, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, says he treats injuries like Getzinger's every year. "I've seen people impaled through the back or groin by sharp bushes or tree branches after falling from the roof," he says. Indoors, people tumble off chairs or ladders while decorating. "Falls are by far the No. 1 cause of unintentional home injuries and deaths," says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council.

Stay-safe secrets. If you're using a ladder outdoors, do so in daylight and well in advance of any winter snow or ice. Use the Home Safety Council's 4-1 rule: For each four feet you plan to climb, move the base of the ladder out one foot. And if your belt buckle is above the ladder's top rung, you've gone too high and the ladder may become unstable. Indoors, clear clutter (stop stacking those gifts on the stairs!), brighten lights near staircases and provide night-lights for visitors.

Heart Attacks and Smoke AlarmsTicker Trouble
More people die of heart attacks over the holidays than at any other time of year. Part of the problem: Some heart attack symptoms are similar to those of indigestion, another seasonal risk, and many people would rather blame their discomfort on gluttony than interrupt a party by dashing off to the ER. "Every holiday season," says Dr. Sacchetti, "we have patients brought in with cardiac arrest, who stayed home with 'indigestion' before they collapsed and died."

Even the weather doesn't help. Research suggests that decreases in atmospheric pressure, common in winter, may trigger heart attacks. Then there's "holiday heart," a fast, irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation that can be caused by drinking too much alcohol in a short time.

Stay-safe secrets. Even doctors can't be sure when someone's having a heart attack, so you're probably not going to figure it out on your own. It's usually the younger victim, the seemingly indestructible 40- or 50-year-old, who is likely to disregard life-threatening symptoms, notes Dr. Sacchetti. "Always consider the worst-case scenario," says Robert Bonow, MD, past president of the American Heart Association. "Even if it seems like heartburn or indigestion, it could be your heart." Know your risk factors too. Family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and being overweight all increase your risk.

You may not experience the Hollywood heart attack, with severe chest pain, says Dr. Bonow. It may be just a bit of pressure in your chest that feels like heartburn or indigestion. Women are more likely to have other symptoms too, says Dr. Bonow: They may have mild or no chest pressure, shortness of breath, nausea, discomfort in the shoulder or sweating.

Smoke Alarm
Sure, Christmas trees are a fire risk, but the top cause of home fires, by a long shot, is cooking. (Blame the UPS delivery man if you will, but you're the one who left the pot on the stove to answer the door.) Candles can wreak havoc, too, and their use is skyrocketing. In 2002, the last year for which figures are available, candles were to blame for some 18,000 home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. And this is the riskiest season: The top three days for candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Christmas Eve.

Stay-safe secrets. In the no-brainer department, never, ever leave stovetop items unattended, and don't leave candles burning in an empty room either. When you do light candles, keep them far from the tree. Water your tree often, and test for freshness by gently squeezing a branch and running your hand along it. If you get a fistful of needles, the tree is too dry. And curb your enthusiasm: If you want your tree to last past New Year's, wait until at least mid-December before buying a fresh one.

Stress, Turkey, and Toy TroublesStress Overload
You've been waiting in line all day -- for a seat in the food court, a parking spot, the last available copy of that bestselling book or must-have toy. One more delay and you'll be having a tantrum that will entertain your neighbors for years to come. Then there's your endless to-do list, a dizzying number of parties to attend and host, arguments with the family, worries about the cost of all this celebrating and a hectic work schedule. No wonder you're stressed out!

Stay-safe secrets. Rule No. 1: Simplify. Don't cram your schedule, says Dorothy Cantor, PsyD, a psychologist in private practice in Westfield, New Jersey, and past president of the American Psychological Association. Pick a few events to go to and forget the rest. "Better to be thought of as a fuddy-duddy than to overdo and get yourself exhausted, stressed and miserable," she says. "Setting limits on partying, cooking, entertaining and gift buying is a great gift to yourself."

And lower your expectations: Your dinner party, decorations and presents don't have to be perfect. "Realize that the happiest holiday is one in which everyone is together and safe and sound," says Appy.

Next year, start the season early, since the mounting hysteria you feel is likely a product of time pressure, says Cantor. Ward off shopping stress by getting it done early. Go to the mall before Thanksgiving. Can't be that preternaturally organized? Shop online, which you can do at midnight, with no one cutting ahead of you in long lines.

Killer Turkeys
"I've seen entire families get sick from a half-cooked turkey," says Dr. McGeorge. And it's not just the bird: Stuffing absorbs the juices inside the bird, so it has to be as cooked as the meat itself. Eggnog is also notorious for making people sick if it's left out too long, or if it's made with raw eggs.

Stay-safe secrets. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats (should be cooked until they're 145° to 170°), poultry (at least 165°) and stuffing (165°). Or, to be super-safe, don't cook the stuffing inside the bird. Visit or call the FDA's Automated Information Line (888-SAFEFOOD), or the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline (888-674-6854).

New-Toy Trouble
Dr. Sacchetti calls it the "reclaiming your youth" injury: You buy a skateboard for your son or daughter and say, "I used to ride one of these -- watch this, dear," and down you go. "It's generally the dads who have to demonstrate that they can still do the things they used to do," says Dr. Sacchetti. Of course, kids are also at risk during the holidays: "There's nothing sadder on Christmas than stitching up cuts on little children who have sliced their hands or arms on razor-sharp plastic packaging," says Dr. McGeorge.

Stay-safe secrets. "If you bought the toy for your kid, it's meant for somebody as coordinated as your kid," cautions Dr. Sacchetti. So hands off. To prevent child injuries, you may want to help youngsters open their gifts, once they've torn off the wrapping, or just remove the gift from the packaging before you wrap it. And keep in mind that the holidays require more, not less, vigilance as children get overexcited and take greater risks with their new toys.

Pain and Party RemorseSofabed Back
Okay, it's also Suitcase Back, but it can all be blamed on the same source: the obligatory family visit. You heave your luggage off the baggage carousel, haul it through the airport, collapse onto Aunt Lily's misshapen sofabed at the end of the day, and wake up looking and feeling like Quasimodo.

Stay-safe secrets. Stretch, and then stretch some more (but stop if it hurts) -- before, during and after traveling, says Robert Schiller, MD, chairman of family medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. (Schiller recommends the classic book , by Bob Anderson.) Prevent the pain in the first place by using proper body mechanics, says Santhosh Thomas, DO, of the Cleveland Clinic's Spine Institute. Use your legs for lifting, and if you're hauling heavy carry-ons, spread the weight onto both shoulders if you can. Even better, use luggage with wheels. As far as that lumpy couch, if it's too soft, consider sleeping on the floor, says Dr. Thomas. Or, if it helps, try a memory-foam pad, which may make that pullout bed a bit more comfortable.

If, despite your best efforts, you're still a little sore, take an over-the- counter anti-inflammatory such as Advil, and avoid anything that might aggravate your back, such as heavy lifting. Applying heat can also help: Try a steamy bath, a heating pad or disposable packs such as ThermaCare Lower Back HeatWraps.

Christmas Card Cramp
Writer's cramp is a bona fide ailment. But in our computerized world, we're more familiar with carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by repetitive motions such as typing. So even though you barely pick up a pen all year, you spend hours writing notes to everyone you know -- and then more time nursing your aching hands.

Stay-safe secrets. "Don't do more than a half-hour of repetitive muscle work without getting up for a five- minute break," says Dr. Schiller. Even better, get your kids to help out.

Just can't bear to fill out all those cards? Let your computer do it. Visit and, for $9, create a computer font that looks like your handwriting. Then just type all your "handwritten" notes, pain free. Or create photo cards at or . They'll even address and mail the cards for you.

Party Remorse
You came, you saw, you drank. If you don't usually overindulge, your body is in for a shock, beginning with a killer headache and often followed by a painful hangover.

Stay-safe secrets. For most people, two drinks are enough to relax them and put them in the holiday spirit, says Dr. Schiller. If you're going beyond that, change the proportion of your drink -- just a splash of liquor and the rest juice or mixer -- or dilute white wine with ice cubes or seltzer. That way, you'll have a holiday to remember -- for all the right reasons.