It’s a fact that the kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house, especially during the holidays with its greater-than-normal use. In addition to burns, knife and broken glass accidents affecting the hand and fingers are among the most common kitchen injuries. Each year, an estimated 350,000 people head to the emergency department with knife injuries alone.

Hand injuries can range from sustaining a cut from broken glass, severing a finger while using a carving knife, to cutting off a fingertip while using a blender. In many cases, these injuries require surgery to treat.

“We tend to see an increase in hand and finger injuries from kitchen accidents over the holidays,” says Nitin Goyal, MD, hand, wrist and elbow surgeon, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR). “I have treated patients who have accidentally cut themselves while carving turkeys or on holiday glasses. It can happen very easily, especially with momentary distractions.”

Hand and finger injuries can be very serious and potentially cause someone to lose function or feeling. “People with kitchen injuries should seek treatment right away,” explains Mark Cohen, MD, hand, wrist and elbow surgeon, MOR. “If a tendon, which is key to moving our hands and fingers, is cut, it can be hard to re-attach surgically and for the injured person to regain full mobility. And severing a nerve can cause feeling to be lost in that extremity.”

Before you take a stab at carving an acorn squash or large Christmas turkey this year, make sure you are using the right technique. Kristen Grider, MOR occupational therapist who treats hand and finger injuries, has these tips for cooks: