Ladders, Swings and More Can Cause Peril
May 11 -- SUNDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A few simple precautions can help prevent head and neck injuries related to recreational or work activities outdoors, health experts say.
Each year in the United States, about 1.5 million people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for head injuries, and nearly 12,000 are treated for neck fractures, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Though sports and recreational activities cause many of these injuries, there's also danger from common and seemingly harmless products in and around the house and yard, including lawn mowers, sprinklers, ladders, playground equipment, garden hoses and sprinklers and garden decorations, says the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
When sports were excluded, the top 10 outdoor-related causes of head injury in 2007 were:
The association says that a few simple safety precautions can prevent most of these types of injuries. It suggests that people:
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about head injuries.
SOURCE: American Association of Neurological Surgeons, news release, April 2009