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SearchAn emergency medicine physician offers some safety tips to keep in mind as many Americans dig out from all the snow left behind by the latest winter storm.
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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.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 82,600 employees worldwide are more than 5,786 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,700 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,728-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 280 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2024, there were 15.7 million outpatient encounters, 333,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 320,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 112 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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