Don’t Get a Bruisin’ While You’re Cruisin’ ~ Wear a Helmet!

As the weather gets warmer more bicycles are on the road. It is an excellent form of transportation, exercise and a great way to spend time with family and friends. Keeping safe while you are out riding is very important, broken bones and concussion are not fun. One of the best ways to prevent injury is to wear a helmet and learn bike safety.

Did you know that the skull can be cracked going at speeds of 7-10km/hr? This is the speed at which most children go on wheels. Six of the seven provinces and territories have created Bike Helmet Legislation to protect their residents. Depending on where you live you could be fined from up to $128.75. Although cycling injuries have been declining over the years Transportation Canada statistics estimate that there are approximately 7,500 each year.

There are many helmet choices out there. It is important to get the right fit. An excellent resource to help select how to fit a helmet and what type helmet should be used for activities is A Parent’s Guide to Helmet and Recreational Safety. Things to look for are position, pad placement, straps and overall tightness. Also, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute posted a summary of the 2009 Consumer Reports’ review article of kids bicycle helmets.

Wearing a helmet is an easy way to stay safe while having fun. There are many community organizations available to teach bike safety. For more information check out the Canadian Cycling Association’s CAN-BIKE program which offers classes for kids and adults at all skill levels.

Injury, Safety and Obesity – Stats Canada releases Canadian Community Health Survey

Today Statistics Canada released its annual Canadian Community Health Survey and the results were very disappointing. Canadians are not only more obese than they were in 2008, but they are also getting injured more frequently when doing physical activity. Canadians are also risking more injury by not wearing a helmet when participating in sports such as cycling. According to the survey 46% of Canadians who cycle do not wear a helmet, even in provinces where there is helmet legislation, Ontario being the worse culprit, falling below the national average at 34% even though it is a province with helmet laws.

About 18% of Canadians aged 18 or older, or roughly 4.4 million people, were classified as obese in 2009, up from 15% in 2003. Despite government and nonprofit programs trying to alleviate this problem, it still persists and is growing worse.

Also this week the Canadian Institute of Wellbeing released two new reports on the well being of Canadians which found that time spent on leisure activities dropped from 15% in 1998 to 12% in 2005 and the proportion of Canadians experiencing high levels of time crunch grew from 16% in
1992 to 20% in 2005.

So how can these statistics improve so Canadians become more physically active and take better care of themselves, when they have less time to do it. The Honourable Roy J. Romanow, Chair of the Canadian Institute of Wellbeing Advisory Board states that "We need family-friendly policies for all workers and more community resources and supports for seniors. We need governments and public policies that support leisure and culture activities and venues - ensuring that equity and inclusion are overarching principles in our approach."

To read more about how you can maintain a balanced lifestyle and encourage employers to create more opportunities for physical activity and leisure see the articles below:

Bodies at Work: Everyone wins when employers provide health and fitness opportunities in the workplace.

The Work-Leisure Paradigm: The Stresses and Strains of Maintaining a Balanced Lifestyle. Lobo, Francis, World Leisure Journal 2006, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p22

Participation in recreational physical activity: why do socioeconomic groups differ? Burton, N.W.; Turrell, G.; Oldenburg, B., Health Education & Behavior Apr 2003: Vol. 30 Issue 2. p. 225-244

Over-scheduling your child and your family. Taylor, J., Ski Racing 6 Dec 2002: Vol. 35 Issue 6. p. 26

It's all fun and games...

We all know that playing sports is fun and good for your health. What is not commonly known is that there are a growing number of athletes that suffer from preventable eye injuries every year. Eye injuries occur more frequently in the summer months, when people are likely to be outside playing recreational sports — often without protective equipment.

Types of eye injuries:

1. Blunt - or impact injuries result from a direct blow to the eye. Usually from sporting equipment, ball, racket, or stick and sometimes from another player.
2. Penetrating - or piercing injuries result from objects cutting into the eye. Sharp objects like glass, debris or fingernails. These types of injuries need to be treated immediately and require medical attention.
3. Radiation - injuries are caused by intense sunlight and are most common in snow and water sports. Goggles or sport sunglasses with SPF protection will do well to protect your eyes from this injury.

Sports are a risky business!

Lower-risk: running, track, swimming, cycling and gymnastics
Higher-risk: baseball, racquetball, badminton, football, tennis, squash, lacrosse, basketball, soft ball, water polo, hockey and rugby
Very high-risk: martial arts, boxing, and wrestling

How do I know if an eye injury requires medical attention? 

Quite often eye injuries can be treated at home, but if you are in any doubt, don't hesitate to contact your family physician or optometrist. Penetrating or piercing eye injuries will always require immediate medical attention. Signs that may indicate serious injury - decrease or loss of vision, flashes of light, a dark curtain or veil across one part of your eye (indication of retinal detachment), floaters (shadows or dark objects float across your visual field), light sensitivity, pain with eye movement, red eye, and double vision.

Prevention

• Wear protective eyewear or a face shield and helmet combination
• Ensure eyewear is made of polycarbonate
• Frames must be sturdy and contain a posterior rim so that the lens can't dislodge backward into your eye
• Eyewear should have SPF protection
• Best option is to obtain protective eyewear from an optometrist or optician. These lenses can be prescription or non-prescription depending on your needs.

The good news is that eye injuries can be easily prevented if you take the proper precautions. Parents and athletes participating in sports that have a high risk of eye injuries should ensure that any purchase of protective gear meets the required standards of their sport.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Curreri A, Corrales G. Eye Trauma in Boxing. Clinics In Sports Medicine. October 2009;28(4):591-607. 
2. Eime R, Owen N, Finch C. Protective Eyewear Promotion: Applying Principles of Behaviour Change in the Design of a Squash Injury Prevention Programme. Sports Medicine. 2004;34(10):629-638.
3. Jones J. Protecting Your Eyes During Sports. Hughston Health Alert. Winter2011 2011;23(1):6.
4. Leivo T, Puusaari I, Mäkitie T. Sports-related eye injuries: floorball endangers the eyes of young players. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine & Science In Sports. October 2007;17(5):556-563. 
5. Nelson B, Huchun A, Tuzman J. FACIAL INJURIES IN SPORTS. Sports Medicine Update. January 2007;:2-5.
6. Pujalte G. Eye Injuries in Sports. Athletic Therapy Today. September 2010;15(5):14-18.
7. Wang R. Blunt Injury to the Eye. Black Belt. March 2013;51(2):38.
8. Zagelbaum B. Sports-related eye trauma. Managing common injuries. Physician & Sportsmedicine. September 1993;21(9):25-28;31-32;35-37;40;42.