Danger under the Christmas tree - Doctors warn of penis fractures and other injuries during the Christmas season
As we all know, most accidents happen in the home. Christmas is no different. However, medical experts warn of certain injuries that, according to studies, occur particularly frequently during the festive season. As the British Guardian reports, some people take the spirit of Christmas a little too literally, at least when it comes to sexual relationships.
According to a study by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), the number of patients with a so-called "penile rupture" increases significantly during the Christmas holidays. In this injury, the erectile tissue or the surrounding membranes tear. Although this is not a real "rupture", the pain is at least comparable. Nikolaos Pyrgides, urologist at LMU, explains: "This injury often occurs during wild sex - especially in positions where there is no direct eye contact [with the partner]." The rupture is announced by a distinct cracking sound, followed by severe pain, loss of erection, severe swelling and bruising. When patients visit their doctor, their penis often looks like an eggplant, Pyrgides continues.
Intimacy and euphoria at Christmas time could explain increase in "penile fractures"
Based on the hypothesis that increased intimacy and euphoria during the festive season could lead to a higher risk of this type of injury, the scientists used hospital data to investigate 3421 cases of these "penile fractures" between 2005 and 2021 in Germany. According to the data collected, a seasonal pattern could be identified. However, there was a particular outlier at Christmas. "If every day were like Christmas, there would have been 43 percent more 'penile fractures' in Germany from 2005 onwards," says Pyrgides.
The average age of patients with the injury is 42. "Most penile fractures happen in unconventional scenarios, such as during extramarital affairs or during sex in unusual places," says the urologist. He advises couples to be aware of the risk and exercise caution. "If it does happen, you should see your doctor as an absolute emergency, because if you don't get treatment, there could be long-term complications."
Other injuries are also particularly common during Christmas
But it's not just increased intimacy that leads to injuries particularly frequently at Christmas. Whether while decorating or cooking: Emergency rooms have their hands full during the festive season. According to a report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) and L'Oréal, around 1,000 people in the UK are injured at the Christmas tree every year. A typical reason for this are chairs or ladders that are not stable enough and fall over while revelers are trying to reach the highest branches of their Christmas tree.
But it is not only during decorating that many injuries occur. Caution is also required when taking out the Christmas decorations: A survey of 2000 Britons by the National Accident Helpline revealed that around two percent of them had already injured themselves while trying to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic and had fallen down a flight of stairs, for example.
Electronics and champagne corks pose a high risk - children are also at risk at Christmas
You should also be particularly careful with electronics - especially near water. According to another Rospa study, 350 people in the UK are injured by fairy lights every year. Between 1997 and 2010, 26 people suffered an electric shock when watering their Christmas tree with the lights on.
Christmas celebrations are of course allowed to be lavish. However, doctors also warn against literally popping the cork: a champagne bottle is under high pressure - two to three times that of a car tire, for example. When it is opened, the cork can shoot out at up to 50 kilometers per hour. If such a cork hits a person in the eye, the eyeball can rupture or the retina can detach, according to theGuardian.
Children should also be watched particularly carefully at Christmas. According to a US analysis, 22,224 children in the United States were hospitalized between 1997 and 2015 because they had swallowed small parts, such as small Christmas tree balls. Button cell batteries are particularly dangerous in this context. They react with saliva to produce caustic soda, which can corrode the mouth and stomach.
It is therefore relatively safe for children to visit Santa Claus. Although, according to a study from the USA, three children were injured between 2007 and 2016 when they fell off Santa's lap and had to be treated in the emergency room, this would mean a low number of 277 Santa-related injuries in the population as a whole.
Heart disease is also particularly common at Christmas. According to a US study, deaths from heart disease reach an annual peak around Christmas and New Year. Researchers believe that this is not primarily due to the excitement of the festive season, but may be due to delays in treatment.
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Source: www.stern.de
