Life | Surgeons Warning: Snow and Ice is Injurious to your health! |
| Written by urbanlife.se |
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“Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says,
"I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway."” ~Maya Angelou  Cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and cannabis is injurious to health but snow and ice? Welcome to Sweden! For most people from Africa and the Caribbean, Swedish winters might seem like refreshing air-conditioning and an abundance of ice for free, especially when temperatures fall to -15 degree Celsius. But there is a flip side of it too. Winters in Sweden are freezing and normally it would snow throughout the country. This is also the time when Sweden changes into a Ski heaven, which is an open invitation for more than 15 000 skiers from across the world to compete in ´Vasaloppet´, a 90km course from Sälen to Mora in Dalarna. This is the best time for winter sports but this is also the time when hospitals run to full capacity due to injuries. For immigrants, both first and second generations, it is a little difficult to get accustomed to the snow and ice that paints the Swedish cities and towns in a riveting white sheet. According to a research conducted by Luleå University of Technology in Sweden, people of African origin living in Sweden are prone to injuries due to slipping on snow. You can slip in the snow when you are walking, standing or running and it can happen to you anytime and anywhere. Nordic winters hit below the freezing point and as a result, roads, pavements, parks, and lakes are covered with snow and ice. Accidents while drivingThis happens because it is difficult to control the car on ice, which becomes particularly slippery when part of it melts. Even when you apply disc brakes, the chance of your car taking a flip is quite high. The more you brake the more your car is going to slide. Solution: Make sure you have good winter tyres and drive carefully. And if you are planning to buy a new car make sure the car is equipped with ESP (Electronic stability programme), anti-slide system. Alternatively, you can use the very good public transport system so that you can avert any mishap. For 700 Swedish kronor you can learn how to avoid skidding, the training course takes a few hours, book your session with www.trafikovningsplats.se For further information click here: www.halkbanor.net Read more on how you can prepare yourself and your car for winter: www.vv.se
Slipping on iceThe most common mishap in Sweden. Snow and ice are fairly uncommon in the tropics; hence, it is difficult to get accustomed to walking on snow. If you are walking on deep snow then the chances of you slipping are minimal, because your feet will get entrenched in the snow, making walking more difficult and strenuous. On the other hand, thin sheets of ice is no walk in a park and unless you enjoy pretending to be walking on toothpicks, you’d be safer wearing proper boots. There are more incidents of slipping on ice than on snow. Ouch! Solution: The solution to this problem is not staying indoors every winter instead you should go out and enjoy it. What you can do is get yourself some great boots that are ideal for snow and terrain walking. You can also check out boots with dual density rubber soles, and even ice cleats.Alternatively, you could always buy skis!
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