Do's and Don'ts of Snow Shoveling

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CLEVELAND - Millions of Americans are under winter weather advisories and if you’re one of them, it’s important to make sure you’re staying safe – especially when shoveling snow.

“Snow removal is actually pretty dangerous. Most commonly, we see people that strain their lower back while shoveling all the snow, mostly because snow is deceptively heavy,” said Carole Parsons, MD, emergency medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic. “A lot of people choose to scoop and throw the snow when it may actually be a little bit safer to try and push it instead.”

Dr. Parsons said to help avoid back injuries, it’s best to shovel snow when it’s still light and fresh and scoop smaller amounts at a time.

You should also stretch before you get started and drink plenty of water.

Shoveling can be strenuous on the heart, so if you have any kind of heart condition, you may want to let someone else do it.

And of course if you notice any kind of pain or discomfort while shoveling, you should stop immediately.

Dr. Parsons said other injuries she tends to see during the winter are people slipping and falling, hypothermia and frostbite.

“Frostbite is when typically the tips of your fingers and your toes freeze. It also can be seen in your nose and your ears though,” she said. “The ways to prevent this are by making sure that you are wearing warm apparel when out in the cold but also changing your apparel whenever they get wet.”

Dr. Parsons notes snow blowers can be dangerous too.

If you are going to use one, never put your hands near the blades or exit chute to clear clogged snow.

That’s an easy way to get your fingers cut – or worse amputated.