Health Wanted: Fourth of July

The Episode

The topic: It’s time for summer fun! But before you head to your Fourth of July barbecue, make sure you know how to keep yourself safe and healthy. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest George McKeehan go over helpful safety tips for Fourth of July activities like swimming, spending time outside, and enjoying firework displays.

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The takeaway: Summer celebrations bring people together for picnics, swimming, and spending time outside. Make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time by staying hydrated, drinking alcohol responsibly, and knowing how you can respond to emergencies.

• The human body functions best at an internal temperature of 98.6 degrees. If it rises above that, there can be serious medical complications. Sweating is the body’s attempt to regulate excess heat, but it is less effective when temperature and humidity are high. Too much sweating can cause dehydration, which thickens the blood, making it harder to pump, potentially leading to heart failure. Without enough water, even the healthiest people can have serious symptoms from dehydration.
• Good news for the occasional hot dog fan: Although research has shown that eating meats increases your risk of colorectal cancer, you would have to eat multiple hot dogs every day to significantly increase your risk. The occasional hot dog should be fine. Choking is a risk any time you eat though, so consider reading up on how to stop choking to be prepared if it happens.
• July is the month with the highest number of fatal recreational boating accidents, and most of them involve drowning. Avoid mixing alcohol with time on the water, and make sure to always wear a life vest to ensure a safe trip. If you are out with children, make sure someone always has active eyes on them. Drowning is the number one cause of death in kids aged one to four, and ​​88% of children who drown do so in the presence of at least one adult.
• If someone is choking or drowning long enough to become unresponsive, call 911. After that, bystander CPR can double or triple their likelihood of survival. Giving rescue breaths alongside chest compressions can be additionally helpful in delivering oxygen to a person, but hands-only CPR is better than nothing and can save vital time while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

The Interview

The guest: George McKeehan

The key takeaways: 

• Fireworks are mass-produced explosives that can cause serious bodily harm and burns if they are not used properly. A safer alternative to lighting them off yourself is going to a professional fireworks show. You won’t have to buy the fireworks yourself or worry about lighting them, and it will probably be an even more impressive display.
• If you think you have a dud firework, do not try to light it again. It could explode unexpectedly, and the closer you are to it, the more likely you are to be seriously injured by the blast. Instead, wait to make sure it is not still active, then soak it in water overnight before disposing.
• Consider using glow sticks this year instead of sparklers; they are safer and last longer. Even though sparklers might seem like a good option for kids, they can still be dangerous if used incorrectly. They burn at 1200 degrees and remain molten hot for some time after use. If your child does use a sparkler, make sure an adult is nearby to supervise.
• If you plan on setting off fireworks next week, make sure to follow safety precautions. Always use hand and eye protection when handling fireworks, and put some distance between yourself and the fuse by using long fireplace lighters instead of small lighters or matches. To be extra safe, consider purchasing a small fire extinguisher to keep nearby during activities involving fire or high heat.

The Listener Questions 

Is drinking moderate amounts of beer dangerous?

Consuming any kind of alcohol increases the risk of seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box.

The more you drink, the more your risk increases, and that’s regardless of what kind of alcohol you drink. A 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, and a cocktail containing 1.5 ounces of liquor are all one drink.

But keep in mind that an increase in risk is not a guarantee of cancer. If your lifetime risk of a certain cancer is 3%, and drinking two drinks a day increases that risk by 50%, then your new risk is 4.5%.

Is meningitis still a concern in the U.S. today? Should people still get the vaccine?

We vaccinate so that diseases don’t return. Unless we eradicate a disease, meaning it no longer exists in the world (like smallpox), you have to keep vaccinating susceptible people, or you create a population that can get infected.

Meningococcal disease (which is what the meningitis vaccines protect against) can be fatal within hours. Those who survive can have permanent disabilities because it causes inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.

After infants, 16 to 23-year-olds are the group that has the highest number of cases.
This is why a lot of colleges require it before starting school; young adults will be living together and in close quarters throughout the day.

Although it’s not super common, cases are increasing. In 2024 the U.S. had 503 cases of meningococcal disease, which is the highest it had been since 2013.

Meningococcal disease can also be severe and swift, so it is probably not worth the risk.

Catch all the listener questions and Laurel’s answers on the full episode of Health Wanted by:

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