Halloween is here once again, and children of all ages are donning costumes and practicing their best growls and ghostly moans. After last year’s low-key turn at the cauldron, communities are ramping up their celebrations once again.
As always, there are a few Halloween health tips to keep in mind to ensure a successful, safe holiday.
Here are four:
- Pandemic-proof your outing: While Halloween 2020 was short on trick or treating in a lot of areas, this year’s celebration will likely differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. Halloween health tips in the pandemic era include looking for costumes that easily incorporate your day-to-day face mask and keeping celebrations outdoors when possible.
- Makeup is preferable to masks – but be careful: Ever see an old Halloween Safety PSA? Halloween masks are typically discouraged by safety councils, as they can make it tricky for kids to see and even breathe. Today’s Halloween costumes are designed with this hindrance in mind. Even so, it may still be a good idea to use face paint and/or makeup for young trick or treaters. But make certain any cosmetics you choose are non-toxic, and test on a small area of skin before applying to the face. Reactions and rashes can sometimes occur. If they do, consult your doctor or head to your local urgent care clinic.
- Don’t trust off-the-shelf decorative contact lenses: Many stores sell contact lenses in various colors and styles that can make you look monstrous, extraterrestrial, spectral, and more. But your eye doctor should be the only one doling out contacts after conducting a thorough examination of your eyes and issuing proper Rx. “One size fits all” phrasing on the package isn’t a sufficient guarantee for the inflammation, irritation, pain, and even infection that could otherwise occur.
- Avoid food-related scares: A time-honored tradition is the parent or guardian’s inspection of their children’s Halloween treats. (A few decades ago, some hospitals even offered their X-ray services as a courtesy.) But while we may laugh at that thought, it remains true today that parents should take a look at the kids’ haul before its devoured. Labels are important. Many allergens can be found in today’s pre-wrapped treats (such as peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, and more). Obviously, home-baked items are not prolific Halloween giveaways today, but should be discouraged just the same.
The FirstCall Medical Center team knows it can be scary being a parent from time to time. Keep in mind: you have a place to turn to when you have questions about your child’s health (AND your own).
