GUEST POST from Don – Fear This, Not That – part II

FEAR THIS, NOT THAT (2)

There is so much to fear in this world, and many things SHOULD be feared, but reality is that some things are far more dangerous than others. For instance, if you fear penguins, but don’t live in Antarctica … maybe you should put your efforts into more significant issues.

I will be throwing a lot of statistics at you. Sorry!

FEAR DYING?
Yup, go ahead …. But it won’t matter … you will die. So, fear those things which are preventable and which are likely to cause early death. What are those things?

Well, there are some things you CAN prevent. Like, jumping out of an airplane with a parachute. It can kill you and it’s unnecessary. Smoking, vaping, etc… dumb, expensive, and unnecessary.

Lots of PSAs about accidental gun deaths, but those are less frequent than people falling off mountains or cliffs and dying. Not paying attention to weather conditions before hiking kills more (exposure to heat or cold).

ACCIDENTAL DEATHS.
There is also a huge amount of information about auto deaths (big, by the way…about 20% of accidental deaths are via automobile)…but that is second to premature death at home.

You can prevent many causes of accidental death at home. For instance, a lot of people fear home fires. Yet only 2% of accidental deaths at home are caused by fire (~2,500 per year). Should you have a smoke detector? Sure. It may extend your life.

What about accidental death due to gunshots? We hear much about this, yet you are 6½ times more likely to die in a house fire (only a 0.15% chance or ~400/year). So, sure get trigger locks and take those gun safety courses, but this is not a high killer.

Number one cause of accidental death at home (by a long shot) is accidental poisoning. 62%, or about 80,000 people per year die from THIS (31x more likely than house fire death).

POISONING.
I am wondering what kinds of poisonings cause these 62% of accidental deaths at home. What can be done to protect us from those?

Poisoning comes in many forms. Let’s concentrate on the more likely. One would think that street drugs and alcohol are at the top … and one would be wrong. Analgesics (prescription and over the counter) represent 20.5% of all deaths by accidental poisoning (~16,400). These are legal pain relieving drugs. Read the literature carefully. Follow dosing directions. Do not place these items where children can access them (or better, lock them up if you have small children). However, I want to make clear that this is the number one cause for people of ALL ages.

Second most likely type of poisoning is “fumes, gases, and vapors.” This causes almost 20% of accidental poisoning deaths (~15,800). Carbon monoxide is a great killer in this category, as is mixing cleaning chemicals which produce toxic breathable substances. By the way, pesticides are almost at the bottom of this list. But if any product is in the form of an aerosol …time to rethink how much you have, use, and where you store it. Choose liquids when able. [Avoid aerosols that can quickly damage your lungs: Hair spray. Oven cleaner. Spray paint. Fabric Protector. Deodorizers. PAM. Tub and tile cleaners. The fewer you use, the more likely your lungs will hold up until your natural death.]

Lock up things like acids and caustic substances (including batteries), auto care products and things like “dry gas” (an ounce of which can kill you with agonizing pain).

FALLS.
Falls cause 23% of accidental deaths at home (~30,000/yr).

Look at your house. Maybe it is time to rethink your bathroom, kitchen, and stairs. Good handrails and non-slip surfaces can improve your odds. Hey! Check this out: In regard to non-fatal injuries, falls account for a third of injuries at home. Yessir! Time to take a thorough inventory of risk factors for falls in your home.

The risks from dying from analgesics, carbon monoxide, or falling can be easily reduced with careful planning and preventive programs. Fear these.

AUTO ACCIDENTS.
Well! Who hasn’t heard it is wise to slow down. Speed kills. Double check your mirrors and look both ways before moving. Here’s something: Stay off your phone. (Just refusing to answer your phone will increase your chances of survival … who hasn’t seen “Jiving Judy” on the road, swinging from white line to double-yellow repeatedly as she sends and receives texts?)

What’s my point?

WE TEND TO FEAR THE RARE, RATHER THAN THE COMMON.

Politics, and government agencies place emphasis on illegal drugs and guns. But those types of potential harm, although preventable, are NOT your biggest enemies. We fear spiders, snakes, and dogs, but those kill far fewer people than carbon monoxide does. Go for the BIG TICKET ITEMS.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Simple.  Choose the easy and logical.  If you won’t be swimming in Florida you don’t have to worry about alligators or sharks.  But, going to Florida, you should think about being somewhere unfamiliar.  Imagine the fall risks (a friend fell at a resort), think about poisoning issues (why you should carry a portable carbon monoxide detector … which would have saved numerous tourists this last season).  Also, when I go on vacation I do not wear sandals or flip-flops.  I like comfortable, safe shoes which will protect my feet and give me great traction when the weather is wet or surfaces are slippery.  Watch where you are going, instead of walking and texting.  You might save yourself from a fall.

Annually, 225,000 people die by preventable accidents.  You have a brain, do some prevention. Concentrate on those things which are the most common and you can easily reduce your risk by 40-50%.

You cannot prevent everything, but you can improve your chances of survival to a ripe old age.

Copyright 2024 Donald Whelpley

[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere. ~ Sherry]

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