This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

"13 Lucky" Tips to Haunt Your Halloween

When we think of Halloween, we picture joyous times to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, and eat sweet treats. But whether you choose to be a ghost or a zombie, ghoul or witch, poor costume options and unsafe behavior can cause injury and haunt your “All Hallows' Eve,” so be sure to celebrate  safely.

 

“The last thing any child or parent wants is to end up in the emergency room hurt and unable to celebrate Halloween,” says Daniel Checco, D.O., Emergency Medicine physician at the Silver Cross Free-Standing Emergency Care Center located at 143rd St. and Bell Rd in Homer Glen.

Find out what's happening in Romeovillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Enjoy a safe and happy Halloween by following the “lucky 13” guidelines from the FDA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Find out what's happening in Romeovillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  1. Wear costumes made of fire-retardant materials such as polyester or nylon; look for “flame resistant” on the label. In the event that a child bumps up against a burning candle, such materials will quickly extinguish themselves.
  2. Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
  3. Wear bright, reflective costumes or add strips of reflective tape so you’ll be more visible;
  4. Wear makeup and hats rather than masks that can obscure your vision. “Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision,” says Dr. Checco. “If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision to avoid trips and falls.”
  5. Test the makeup you plan to use by putting a small amount on the arm of the person who will be wearing it a couple of days in advance. If a rash, redness, or swelling develops where the makeup was applied, that’s a sign of a possible allergic reaction.
  6. Check FDA’s list of color additives to see if makeup additives are FDA approved. If they aren’t approved for their intended use, don not use it.
  7. Don’t wear decorative contact lenses unless you have seen an eye care

a.      professional and had a proper lens fitting.

 

Safe Treats

Eating sweet treats is also a big part of the fun on Halloween. If you’re trick-or-treating, remember these tips:

Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.

1.      Kids should eat a snack before they go trick-or-treating, so they won’t be tempted to eat treats that haven’t been inspected.

2.      Tell children not to eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.

3.      Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys from their youngsters’ bags.

4.      Inspect treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious. 

5.      Before bobbing for apples reduce the amount of bacteria that might be on apples by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water.

 

Emergency Care Nearby

Even with the utmost caution, Halloween-related injuries can still occur.  It is good to know peace of mind is just minutes away at the Silver Cross Emergency Care Center located at 143rd and Bell Rd. in Homer Glen.  Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Center is staffed with Silver Cross Hospital’s board certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses. For more information, call (708) 364-6004.

 

Located in the same building is the Silver Cross Health Center offering MRI, CT, X-ray, Ultrasound, EKG and laboratory services. A physician’s order is required. To schedule an appointment for a test, call (815) 300-7076.  There are also several primary and specialty physician offices and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at Silver Cross. For a referral to a physician at the Homer Glen medical center, call 1-888-660-HEAL or visit www.silvercross.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?