A&E doctor urges people to stop doing these six things over Christmas
Year after year, healthcare professionals send out warnings to Brits to take extra care throughout the holiday season.
After all, on top of Christmas being a period famed for heavy-drinking and lowered inhibitions, it also sees illness spread more easily through close-knit meet-ups and jam-packed modes of transport.
These factors, paired with the fact that most emergencies services are working with skeleton staff throughout the holidays, mean that A&E wait times are at their all-time longest.
And no one wants to find themselves sitting in an ice-cold ER on what's supposed to be the most joyous time of year.
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As such, medics are attempting to raise awareness of the most bizarre cases of injury and illness they observe year upon year, the majority of which could have been entirely avoidable.
1) Falling out of a loft
You might be surprised to learn that, according to John Radcliffe Hospital emergency medicine consultant Dr David Metcalfe, this particular incident is reported ceaselessly throughout late November and January.
"They either fall through the hatch or through the ceiling itself," he told the Telegraph. "When someone has a blunt injury like falling out of a loft, they tend to suffer multiple injuries.
"They might have broken their hip and a few ribs and have wounds to the face."
Asked how to avoid it, he emphasises that older men - many of whom convince themselves they're much more agile than they really are - need to be the most careful, and should consider calling upon others to help.
"If you’ve got nice, secure boxes with decorations, rather than 20-year-old cardboard boxes, there is less chance of them falling apart and you falling as a result," Dr Metcalfe went on.
2) Electric shocks and decorating injuries
When it comes to Broomfield Hospital emergency medicine consultant Dr Stephen Hughes, he claims he most commonly sees falls sustained whilst decorating their tree.
"They go up a step ladder to decorate their - often excessively large - tree, and it’s not quite balanced and people fall over," he explained, adding that this sort of incident usually befalls over 65s. "I’ve seen a few broken wrists."
Dr Metcalfe claims he sees similar incident rates in cases involving Christmas lights.
"They have probably been used for years and years and one of the lights has broken and, as they’re being turned on or handled, somebody gets a shock and small burn," he added.
To avoid such hellish encounters, the pair say it's vital to make sure the base of a ladder being used to decorate is clear of all other objects.
"You’re not perching it against some presents, or on wires for the fairy lights because that might have fairly shocking implications," Hughes explained.
While most electric shocks aren’t usually a cause for concern, Metcalfe added that, if you feel it's absolutely necessary, take yourself in to get checked.
"We tend to do a blood test and electrocardiogram [ECG] which are almost always normal and then the patient gets discharged home," he pointed out.
3) Opening presents carelessly
It might seem ridiculous, but apparently, you often find someone in A&E on Christmas Day who has inadvertently slashed their hand open by using a knife to cut open packaging, sustaining deep gashes that can sometimes require surgery.
Asked what to do if you're guilty of a minor wound, however, Hughes advised cleaning the wound with water and applying direct pressure to it before covering it with a clean dressing.
If the bleeding doesn't stop, however, or is gushing out at a concerning rate, they say to seek medical assistance.
4) Cooking burns
Hughes claimed that the pressure to rustle up the perfect roast dinner can often result in silly mistakes, which sometimes take the form of burns.
"People burn themselves on the Christmas pudding as they try to flambé it," he explained. "I’ve seen a few of those. The lit match catches their hand."
It's not just burns he observes year after year, however, but cuts sustained whilst chopping sprouts and slicing turkey.
When it comes to his medical advice, he recommended: "Plan what you’re doing in the kitchen. The bird may be bigger than you’re used to carrying, so it may be worthwhile getting help.
"If you must ignite your Christmas pudding, please do it safely."
To avoid burns, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) say its best to keep handles on pots and pans turned inward on the hob, and using oven gloves instead of tea towels.
If you're unlucky enough to catch a hot spot, the NHS recommends soothing the area using cool or lukewarm water for 20 minutes as soon as possible.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen is also advised to ease the pain.
5) Overindulging
December 25th is considered by many festive celebrants the perfect time to pig out.
Apparently, however, getting ahead of yourself whilst tucking into your Christmas dinner could result in the likes of acid reflux, which describes stomach acid accidentally travelling up the gullet.
It's a harmless condition, but due to the discomfort it inflicts, it can lead some people to believe they're suffering from a heart attack - and convinced of this, some needlessly call themselves an ambulance.
"They have just completely overdone it to give themselves heartburn, they get a big load of chest pain," Hughes explained.
He advises seeking medical assistance if 'chest pain is continuous, gets worse when you stand up or walk', adding, 'if in doubt, we can always do an ECG and a blood test'.
6) Drinking too much
Binge-drinking is a common occurrence during the festive season, but according to Dr Hughes, the overconsumption of booze can prove a big mistake.
"In the weeks before and after Christmas, people get hideously drunk," he explained. "People go out for their festive do, start making their way home from the pub or club and they’ve run out of money or missed the last train and decide to start walking back and get very cold and become hypothermic.
"I’ve defrosted a few people over the years. You have to put them under a warming blanket and they warm up gradually."
There's also the heightened risk of drunk driving, he added.
"There are a number of road accidents from people going out on the roads after having a few too many," Hughes went on. "There is a spike in accidents."
On how to avoid these incidents, the medic advised: "Decide who is driving, share it out over the holidays, do not drink and drive. Drink driving leads to appalling tragedies."
Rhianna Benson