Tips for the Gardener in All of Us

Columba Fernandez Orozco, BA, Adult Health Educator, Washington State Department of Health

Spring is here! It brings good weather and a natural craving for digging in the dirt with all kinds of sharp tools. Gardening provides physical activity and healthy food. It can also leave you open to injuries and infections, like tetanus.

Protect yourself! Be sure to get a tetanus (Td) shot every ten years. Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through breaks in the skin. Adults aged 19–64 should substitute the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine for one booster dose of Td (tetanus, diphtheria) vaccine.

Find out if you need other shots based on where you live, your health, lifestyle, and if you plan to travel internationally. Take a quiz on the CDC website to find out what vaccines adults need. (Click on "For Specific Groups of People.")

Other hints for safe gardening:

• Wear safety goggles, sturdy shoes, and long pants when mowing the lawn and gardening.
• Protect your hearing from loud gardening equipment.
• Wear gloves to lower the risk of skin irritations and cuts.
• Wear long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, sun glasses, and sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher to lower risk of sunburn and cancer.
• Use insect repellent to protect you from mosquitoes and tick-borne diseases.

More safety and health information for gardeners can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.