Dangerous Things Emergency Doctors Advise You to Stop Doing Immediately

These actions are not worth risking your life or the life of your family. Here are the things that every emergency room doctor advises everyone to stop doing immediately .

Using bicycles, scooters, ATVs and motorcycles without wearing helmets

The reality is that far too many head injuries are preventable in the emergency department simply by wearing a helmet. This simple piece of equipment reduces the risk of life-changing or fatal traumatic brain injury in an accident. Even a short, local ride can be dangerous on the road if you are not wearing a helmet.

If you're a parent, remember that your kids are watching (and copying) everything you do. The biggest predictor of whether kids and teens will wear helmets is whether their parents do. So help your kids stay safe, wearing a helmet protects you and those around you.

Riding a car without a proper seat belt

There's no denying that seat belts save lives. According to statistics, more than 2.6 million people visit emergency rooms each year due to injuries sustained while riding in a car. Riding without a seat belt, having more people in the car than there are seat belts, hanging out of an open window, or putting your feet up on the dashboard also increases your risk of serious injury in the event of a crash.

Children's small bodies are especially vulnerable to injury in car crashes, making it especially important for young children to be properly positioned and properly sized in a car seat. According to the CDC, more than 106,000 children 12 years old and younger were injured in a crash in 2022. Of those, 599 children died, and 35% of those deaths were due to children not wearing a seat belt. Placing your child in a properly sized car seat or booster seat will help reduce the risk of injury.

Using the phone while driving or walking

Apparently, this is the cause of many reported traffic accidents each year. Think about it: If you take five seconds to read or reply to a text message and you're driving at 55 miles per hour, you'll travel the length of a football field without looking at the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You might think you can text and walk because you're not driving fast, but if you're not paying attention, you could easily stumble down a flight of stairs, miss a changing traffic light, or crash into someone or something.

"Underground" cosmetic surgery or at unreliable facilities

With lower prices and shorter wait times than a board-certified dermatologist, spas offering simple cosmetic procedures can be appealing. Unfortunately, they don't always have a physician on-site to oversee potentially risky procedures. Some procedures can cause disfigurement, infection, and/or temporary paralysis, such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and eyelid surgery.

Cut food in a hurry

If you have a knife in your hand, be careful when cutting food. Bagels are a big culprit when it comes to accidental cuts. Avocados are another culprit, but you should be careful no matter what type of food you're preparing.

Make risky decisions when using ladders

Falls from ladders are a common cause of broken bones, head injuries, and sprains. Before you start climbing, the American Ladder Institute recommends wearing non-slip shoes, inspecting the ladder for damage, making sure it is not too windy, and setting the ladder up securely on level ground. Then, always keep three points of contact on the ladder (such as two feet and one hand).

Skipping Preventive Health Checkups

The only way to treat it effectively is to catch it early. Most health insurance plans cover at least one checkup a year, but your doctor can tell you if you should get it more often. They can also advise you on cancer screenings, vaccinations, heart tests, mental health screenings, and more. Plus, if you're unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with a serious illness, it's nice to have a doctor who's familiar with your medical history.

Self-medication

This is especially true of supplements that are intended to help you lose weight or gain muscle. Many can cause liver and kidney damage. Even something as seemingly harmless as green tea extract can cause liver damage in some cases. Other supplements can interact with medications you are taking, so always check with your doctor before adding them to your regimen.

Micah Soto

Update 26 May 2025