Illustration by Photo illustration by The Globe and Mail. Sources: Unsplash, Pexels
Ask a Doctor is a new series of physician-authored columns offering insights and advice on common health topics. It is not a substitute for seeking medical care.
A crowded hospital emergency department is one place you don’t want to end up, whether for yourself or a family member. As an emergency physician, I see firsthand how stressful and frightening a visit to the ED can be for patients.
While some ED visits cannot be avoided, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of needing emergency medical care. Here are five habits I advise to help keep you healthy and out of the ED.
1. Wear a helmet
Many ED visits are caused by preventable injuries. According to Parachute, a national charity dedicated to injury prevention, injuries led to 4.6 million emergency department visits in Canada in 2018.
A good-quality, well-fitted helmet can help reduce many injuries.
Most people associate helmets with bicycles, and with good reason. Using bicycle helmets reduces head injuries by more than 40 per cent, serious head injuries by 60 per cent and traumatic brain injury by more than 50 per cent.
But helmets can and should be used beyond biking, too. My rule? If an activity is faster than walking and your feet aren’t on the ground, wear an appropriate helmet. This includes obvious activities such as rollerblading and skateboarding, but many people forget about helmets for scooters, horseback riding and snow sports (including sledding!). Certain sports, such as hockey, football and rugby, appropriately require helmets for protection.
2. Don’t drink and …
… drive, yes – but also so many other things. Alcohol has dramatic effects on the brain, including impaired balance, co-ordination, speech, reaction time, memory and judgment.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, alcohol harm is a leading cause of injury and death in Canada.
Drinking and driving is widely recognized as dangerous, but unfortunately, the same caution often isn’t applied to other risky scenarios. If you’ve been drinking, avoid swimming or water sports, climbing to heights or operating anything motorized. You probably shouldn’t be chopping vegetables either.
3. Get your shots
Vaccines save lives – and emergency department visits.
Routine childhood vaccinations protect against diseases such as measles, meningitis and pneumonia, which can lead to severe complications or even death. The recent increase in measles cases in parts of Canada and the United States, mostly in unimmunized individuals, is a reminder of how crucial vaccination is.
Vaccination for respiratory viruses such as the flu is also important. As previously reported by The Globe and Mail, hundreds of thousands fewer Canadians received flu shots this respiratory virus season than last season. This places added strain on the health care system, including increasing emergency department visits for flu-related complications, often requiring hospitalization.
And don’t forget additional vaccinations that may be recommended when travelling internationally. Consult with a travel clinic or your primary-care provider several weeks before departure to ensure you’re protected.
4. Go for regular checkups
Regular checkups with your primary-care provider can help detect silent conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, before they escalate into emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes.
In addition, screening for cancers such as breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer can be lifesaving. Early detection dramatically improves prognosis, but sadly, many people only receive a diagnosis in the ED once the disease has already advanced to the point where it is causing acute symptoms. Ask your doctor what screening might be right for you.
For the millions of Canadians currently without a family doctor, however, access to preventive care is a challenge. And research suggests that many health concerns that could be handled by a primary-care provider are landing people in the hospital instead. According to CIHI, across Canada, 15 per cent of visits to emergency departments between April, 2023, and March, 2024, were for conditions that could potentially have been managed in primary care.
If you don’t have regular access to a family doctor, check with your provincial physician regulatory college for doctors accepting patients. You can also look for a registered nurse practitioner as part of a team-based clinic. If you rely on walk-in clinics for non-urgent care, consider visiting the same one each time for continuity.
5. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face
This simple habit can help keep your whole family healthy and out of the ED. Many common viruses are spread by touching an infected surface, then inadvertently transferring germs to the mouth, nose or eyes.
Handwashing not only prevents illness for you, it also reduces spread to others. If sick individuals were diligent about washing their hands, virus transmission would drop dramatically.
In my house, we have a non-negotiable rule: Everyone washes their hands as soon as they walk in the front door. Sure, my kids complain every single time, but being sick is the worst so we make sure to follow this rule.
When I’m out and about, I keep small bottles of hand sanitizer in my bags for situations when soap and water aren’t readily available. A friendly reminder: Hand sanitizer doesn’t work against norovirus, so soap and water are best.
Dr. Shazma Mithani is an emergency physician working with adult and pediatric patients in Edmonton. She is dedicated to health education, advocacy and strengthening the public health care system for all. Dr. Mithani is actively involved with the Canadian Medical Association, Alberta Medical Association and Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton. She is also the co-host of The Doc Talk Podcast and a frequent media commentator.
