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The ER is busy after the Super Bowl, but it’s not why you think

It’s not just those who chase after the pigskin that can get hurt on Super Bowl Sunday – RVers and other football fans could be at a greater risk for hurt. Dr. Jeffrey Kalina, an emergency medicine physician in Houston, Texas, says the fans themselves wind up being victims: “The ER is usually busy after the game and we expect it to be no different this Sunday.”

How can I get hurt if I’m not playing football? The answer may surprise you. The problem starts with what fans are taking in, not from the screen, but through their mouths. The mixture of alcohol and junk food can be a potent mix. Drunk driving injuries are common, but don’t discount stomach ailments based on too many potato chips and pork rinds. But there’s a more sinister evil with all that liquid refreshment: urinary retention.

Says the good doctor: “During most sporting events people will get up and use the restroom during the commercials and not have any problem. However, most of the time the commercials are the best part of the Super Bowl, so we have seen people who have to come in and have a catheter put in to relieve themselves.” What happens is, with all that “putting off the output,” the bladder muscles aren’t strong enough to overcome the extra volume.

The moral of the story here: Go to the bathroom during the game, folks. Give those ER nurses a break.

##RVT933

Emily Woodbury
Emily Woodburyhttps://www.rvtravel.com
Emily Woodbury is the editor here at RVtravel.com. She was lucky enough to grow up alongside two traveling parents, one domestically by RV (yep, Chuck Woodbury) and the other for international adventures, and has been lucky to see a great deal of our world (and counting!). She lives near Seattle with her dog and chickens. When she's not cranking out 365+ newsletters for RVtravel.com she's hiking, cooking or, well, probably traveling.

Comments

  1. It’s my understanding that spousal abuse goes way up too. Alcohol, fragile ego, team identity, hotheadedness…. Bad combination.

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