With winter weather affecting roads and sidewalks outside, doctors say injuries can be fairly common around this time of year.
The medical director for Mercy Health St. Rita's emergency department, Dr. Alexander Bobrov, says some of the most common ER visits come from falls and exposure to the cold. They have even seen people suffering from a heart attack after shoveling snow.
The biggest things the director recommends are to use common sense, watch out for ice, and bundle up while out in the cold - but they don't want you to be afraid to stop into the ER if you're concerned about an injury.
"Certainly if you’re having chest pains after shoveling snow, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, if your hand is injured, but now all of a sudden you start seeing changes of circulation, cold fingers, there’s no pulse there, you can’t feel your fingertips, that’s fairly concerning and you should really come in and be seen," said Dr. Bobrov.
St. Rita's also wants you to know the hospital is safe to visit for any reason, whether it's COVID-related or not.
