How to Eat Holiday Food Healthily... Know Emergency Response Methods

Frequent Food-Related Accidents During Holidays
To Prevent Major Incidents... Know How to Respond

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] One of the charms of the holidays is sitting around with family members you haven't seen in a while, sharing food and enjoying conversations. However, unexpected accidents often occur while eating holiday meals. It is common to experience indigestion or stomach upset from eating too quickly. Since these incidents can sometimes lead to serious accidents, it is good to know how to respond in advance.

If rice cake gets stuck in the throat... Perform the Heimlich maneuver

Choking on rice cake, which blocks the airway, frequently happens during holidays. In such cases, the Heimlich maneuver should be performed by wrapping your arms around the patient from behind and pushing the abdomen upward. To perform the Heimlich maneuver, first wrap your arms around the patient from behind, making one hand into a fist and covering it with the other hand. Then place your fist between the patient’s sternum and navel and push upward as if pulling. Repeat this process until the food is expelled. If the patient loses consciousness, immediately switch to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The response method differs for infants under 1 year old. First, place the baby face down on your thigh with the head lower than the chest, then firmly tap the center of the baby’s back with your palm. Next, turn the baby over so the head is lower than the chest, and use two fingers to press about 4 cm deep just below both nipples quickly and strongly. Repeat this process until the food is expelled, just like with adults.

If you get burned while cooking... Initial response is crucial

Bindaetteok (Photo by Getty Images Bank)

If you get burned while preparing holiday food, it is important to perform accurate first aid immediately. This helps minimize secondary bacterial infections and potential scarring later on. First, cool the burn area under running water until the burning sensation subsides. Avoid applying ice packs as they can worsen the wound.

After cooling the burn, it is recommended to apply a burn-specific moist dressing for first aid. If the burn is severe, visit a hospital immediately after first aid.

What to do if you have a stomach upset... Know which hospitals are open

During holidays, when people tend to eat unfamiliar foods or overeat, stomach upset is common. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, during the 3-day Lunar New Year holiday in 2020, 3,501 patients visited emergency rooms with gastroenteritis. This number is four times the annual average of 834 cases. If the condition is serious, call 119 or find out in advance which medical institutions are open during the holidays to respond appropriately. Learning simple first aid techniques can also be helpful.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, 501 emergency rooms nationwide operate 24 hours a day. Most private medical institutions close on the holiday itself, but some public health institutions such as health centers provide treatment. Information about hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and screening clinics open during the holiday can be found through the 129, 119, and 120 call centers, as well as the Emergency Medical Portal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.