TAMPA, Fla. — There are so many fun Fourth of July celebrations taking place around the Tampa Bay area.
Whether you’re going to watch fireworks or having a barbecue at home, it is important to stay safe and healthy this holiday weekend.
WATCH: Local doctor offers advice on how to stay safe this Fourth of July
Tampa Bay 28 anchor Lauren St. Germain covers medical news at Tampa Bay 28 and spoke with a family medicine physician about why people end up in the hospital or ER on the Fourth of July.
Dr. John Morrison with AdventHealth said the biggest culprits here in Florida are food, fireworks, and heat.
“What is the biggest thing you guys see Fourth of July weekend out of all of those areas?” asked St. Germain.
“I would say the heat-related illnesses. People are just having fun, and also, if you’re going to drink alcohol, do it moderately because usually folks are drinking, they forget that they are getting very hot and they are drinking and not hydrating with water; that’s a big thing too,” said Dr. John Morrison, a family medicine physician with AdventHealth.
Dr. Morrison said signs of heat exhaustion are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle cramping and headaches. He said that if you get these symptoms, go indoors to a cool area because if you develop heat stroke, it can be life-threatening.
He also said make sure any perishable food is well refrigerated because people will come in with stomach pain from eating something that was sitting out too long.
“The big thing over the weekend you want to have fun, you want to enjoy everything, but make sure anything like potato salad or perishable items are well refrigerated. Don’t leave them out for too long. If you do it’s better to pitch them than have to come and see me because you are sick,” explained Dr. Morrison.
When it comes to fireworks or sparklers, Dr. Morrison said it’s mainly teens coming in, so don’t leave them unsupervised. It’s also important to have a bucket of water or a hose nearby in case.
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