One of our Cardiologists and co-founder of LabFinder, Robert Segal, MD, was interviewed by the New York Post to discuss the hidden health hazards at your 4th of July BBQ.
He’s quoted as saying:
Picnics look good on Instagram, but if you leave food “unrefrigerated or outside, you’re asking for it,” says Segal. “My colleagues and I treat a lot of diarrhea and gastrointestinal symptoms of food poisoning.”
If a meal leaves you feeling a little off, increase your fluids, says Segal. But if your temperature is more than 101 degrees, or you experience blurred vision and muscle weakness, head to the ER — you could have a more serious infection from the bacteria.
Segal warns that E. coli can be present in undercooked beef, and salmonella in undercooked chicken.
Ticks can transmit diseases — including Lyme — and bites “should not be ignored,” Segal says.
The old wives’ tale about waiting 30 minutes after eating before hopping in the pool has some truth to it, says Segal. After eating a big meal, blood rushes to your stomach to digest the food. When you get in the pool, blood then wants to rush to your extremities so you can swim, he says. “You’re not swimming as swiftly as you were before you ate. It’s a good idea to wait 30 minutes.”
Read the original article placement on New York Post.
