Print
Email
Prevent other common injuries
Although falls, poisoning, and burns are the leading causes of accidental injury in the home, it's also important to protect yourself from other common injuries. Less common but still significant are choking and suffocation, firearm injuries, blunt traumas, cuts (lacerations), and overexertion.
Choking and suffocation
Those most at risk for choking and suffocation are the very young or old (see "Choking and suffocation facts," below). Young children tend to choke when portions of food are too large for them to chew and swallow, or when they put too much food into their mouths before chewing. Older people may choke because of problems with chewing and swallowing that can occur as a secondary effect of other health conditions. Although you can use the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the obstruction (see Figure 7), it's much better to understand how choking can occur and take steps to prevent it.
Every time you swallow, you use 50 pairs of muscles and many nerves during a three-stage process that begins in your mouth and ends in your esophagus, the long canal that conveys food to the stomach. In the first stage, chewing mixes the food with saliva to soften it. In the second stage, your tongue pushes food toward the back of the throat, triggering the swallowing reflex. As food passes through the pharynx (the canal that connects the mouth with the esophagus), the epiglottis (a flap of cartilage located behind the tongue) closes over the larynx (voice box) to prevent food from entering the lungs. In the final stage, food and liquid enter the esophagus and move down into the stomach.
Swallowing problems, known medically as dysphagia, can develop when any part of the swallowing process becomes impaired — usually because of another health condition. Common causes of dysphagia in adults include strokes and other brain injuries, and chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. These disorders can impair nerves and muscle coordination and thus hinder the swallowing reflex. Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that affects the glands and reduces saliva, can impair the ability to soften food sufficiently before it enters the esophagus. Poorly treated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), more commonly known as chronic heartburn, can create inflammation of your esophagus that makes it difficult to swallow. Tongue and cheek muscles that weaken with age may also make it harder to move food from the mouth into the esophagus. Cancers of the head, neck, and esophagus — or treatments for them — can also cause swallowing problems. So can angioedema, the swelling of the mouth, throat, and lips due to allergy or stress.
Some medications can damage your esophagus if you take them for long periods and without sufficient water. Potential culprits include the antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline, any nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), corticosteroids, and even vitamins.
If you are having trouble swallowing, talk to your doctor to determine what may be causing this problem and how to remedy it. (Some suggestions for dealing with common situations are listed below.)
Tips to prevent choking
-
Always drink plenty of liquids while eating, to keep your mouth moist and help soften food as it moves down the esophagus.
-
Cut food into small portions and chew thoroughly.
-
If you have acid reflux disease, medications can stop the regurgitation of acid that is damaging your esophagus.
-
If medication use has led to swallowing problems, try taking your pills at a different time of day or with an antacid.
-
Ask your doctor for a referral to a speech/language pathologist or physical therapist for information about head, neck, and mouth exercises to strengthen muscles and coordination.
-
Avoid excessively hot, cold, or spicy foods and liquids, as these may cause your throat to close up.
-
People suffering from neurodegenerative disorders or conditions that have narrowed the esophagus may require medical treatments and surgery to reopen the swallowing passage.
Firearm injuries
Guns and other firearms are found in one out of three American households. Many people believe that keeping a gun in the home increases safety against intruders. Think again. If you have a gun in your home, your risk of being shot and killed by an intruder is three times higher than that of someone who doesn't own a gun. Studies also indicate that you have a greater risk of killing yourself with a gun by accident: At least 65% of accidental gun injuries occur in the home. (For better ways to protect yourself, see "Protect against intruders," below.)
Unintentional gunshot wounds kill about 600 Americans each year, making this a leading form of accidental death. Another 18,000 people go to the emergency room every year because of an accidental firearm injury. These figures don't include people who commit suicide using a gun (accounting for more than half of all suicides) or those who are shot during a violent crime. Each year thousands of children are injured by guns, usually by accident. And more American teenagers die from gunshot wounds than from all natural causes combined.
Prevent gunshot injuries
-
If you have a gun in your home for protection, consider turning it in to your local police station.
-
If you think you must have the gun, make sure it is stored in a locked cabinet, secure from children and grandchildren.
-
Always store ammunition in a secure location separate from the gun.
 |
Author Info: Harvard Health Publications
Date Last Reviewed: 04-01-2005 Published Date: 01-23-2007 Copyright © 2008 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. |
Related Learning Centers |
 |
 |
 |
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy