6 things ER doctors wish you'd do to stay out of the emergency room

Hospital emergency departments are here to provide immediate medical care for debilitating illnesses and life-threatening injuries. For many patients, an ER visit is a life-saving necessity, but a report by U.S. News and World Report estimates two-thirds of emergency room visits are avoidable. With that in mind, here are six things emergency doctors wish you would do to reduce the chances of needing them.

1. Wear a helmet when riding a bike, motorcycle, scooter or ATV

Wearing a helmet reduces the chance of a serious head injury by 48%, according to the National Institutes of Health. Helmet use also reduces the risk of face and traumatic brain injuries, as well as death.

2. Buckle up: use a seatbelt

Buckling up while riding in a motorized vehicle is the safest way to protect yourself. Airbags cannot save you alone because engineers designed them to work with seatbelts. Here are some quick stats:

• More than 1.8 million people were treated in emergency room departments in 2023 because they were not wearing seatbelts, based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Wearing a seatbelt while riding in the front of a car reduces the risk of death by 45% and reduces the risk of critical injury by 50%.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates nearly half of all the people who died in vehicle accidents or crashes in the United States were not wearing a seatbelt in 2023.

3. Drive without distractions

No drinking, drugs or cell phone use while driving. You can significantly reduce your chances of being in a crash and suffering a serious injury by choosing not to use your cell phone while driving and avoiding alcohol and drug use.

• Alcohol reduces brain function. Even with that knowledge, people routinely drive while intoxicated, leading to an average of 34 people dying daily in the United States in alcohol-related crashes.
• Drugs impair driving. Marijuana can slow response times, while drugs such as cocaine can cause more aggressive driving.
• Drivers using a cell phone are four times more likely to be involved in a car crash.

4. Go to the doctor before you experience a health scare

Having a primary care physician and going to preventative health care visits can help you make the necessary life choices to prevent illnesses that could lead to an emergency room visit. 

• A primary care physician can help manage health concerns such as skin infections, back pain or respiratory infections.
• Accessing primary care is cheaper than multiple emergency room visits in the long run. (However, it is understood that a lack of access to transportation, money and more can create barriers to primary care.) Without insurance, an ER visit can average more than $2,500. Primary care visits are around $300. Urgent care may also be a better and more cost-effective option.

5. Avoid tobacco, smoking and vaping of any kind

Smoking is a major contributor to illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and more. It can worsen symptoms of illnesses such as asthma. One study says smoking is the cause of nearly 2.5 million emergency room visits every year.

• Vaping is not a healthier alternative, according to the American Heart Association.
  • Most vapes/e-cigarettes deliver nicotine at a higher rate than cigarettes. 
  • The body absorbs about 1-2 mg of nicotine from smoking a cigarette, but one vape/e-cigarette has the equivalent of 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine.
• Chewing tobacco is just as dangerous. Unlike smoking, the body absorbs nicotine through the tissues of the mouth.

6. Always supervise children near any body of water

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in all children. Following basic water safety rules is of the utmost importance. Constant supervision, a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket and learning how to recognize a distressed swimmer can prevent death and a possible a trip to the emergency room. 

• When it comes to children age four and under, drowning is the top cause of accidental deaths, and many of the deaths occur in pools.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6,500 kids visit the emergency room each year because of near drowning incidents.

These six things are not foolproof, but they can help you live a healthier life, make safer choices and reduce your chances of ending up in the emergency department.