What’s Going Around: Seasonal allergies and outdoor-related injuries

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Area physicians are reporting an increase in outdoor-related injuries. As the weather gets nicer and people head outside to recreate, those numbers are expected to grow. If you take a spill and end up with an injury, it can be hard to know if you should head into the ER or an urgent care.

“If you can see fat, that’s the bright, very beautiful yellow color that you can see sometimes in a wound,” said Dr. Jamie Jones with CoxHealth. “If you can see fat, typically, that’s a good sign that it probably needs a stitch or glue some type of closure.”

Dr. Jones said it’s also important to know what to do immediately after someone loses consciousness.

“Just make sure we’ve got an airway and that they’re breathing and have a pulse,” said Dr. Jones. “Go back to those basic ABCs of CPR. Once they’re awake, let them stay down on the ground and just evaluate. What’s your name? What’s today? What were you doing? Do you remember the fall and assess those things? If, if we’re not waking up, obviously, we need to contact 911 immediately.”

If you need help deciding if you should head to the ER or urgent care, check out this article from KY3′s Joe Hickman.

In other parts of the Ozarks, in Lebanon at Lake Regional Health Systems, their physicians are seeing more cases of ear and sinus infections due to seasonal allergies and increased cases of strep throat. In Bolivar at Citizens Memorial Hospital, their physicians are seeing similar cases of inflammation due to seasonal allergies and ear infections.

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