It's the season for avocado hand - how a mealtime favorite can land you in the hospital with missing fingers and permanent nerve damage

Dr Eric Wagner of Emory University shared cautions about slicing avocados

As the weather heats up, it's that time of year for avocado toast and fresh guacamole.

However, doctors are warning thousands will slice their hands open while trying to whip up their favorite avocado snack this summer, with 'peak' season running from April through July. 

What's more, severe kitchen mishaps could lead to permanent nerve damage and fingers getting cut off.  

The injury, which hand surgeons have dubbed 'avocado hand,' typically occurs when someone slices into an avocado with a knife while holding it in one hand or when they use the tip of a knife to try and take out the fruit's pit. 

This makes it easy for the person to lose their grip as they cut in the avocado, leading to the knife cutting their hand instead.

Hand surgeons have warned that 'avocado hand' injuries are on the rise this summer, leading to nerve damage and amputated fingers

Dr Eric Wagner, a hand surgeon and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, told the Washington Post: 'I've treated people who've cut off a finger while slicing an avocado.

'Cutting an avocado seems so harmless, but we've seen some pretty bad injuries from it. By far and away the most injuries I've seen are from avocado injuries.'

In 2020, Dr Wagner and his colleagues published a study after seeing so many of these accidents that looked at the injury rate. 

They found between 1998 and 2017, more than 50,000 Americans went to the emergency room for avocado-related knife injuries. And these incidents have increased over time. 

From 1998 to 2002, there were just 3,143 cases. But between 2013 and 2017, that number ballooned to 27,059 cases. 

And another 2020 study found about one in every 50 knife injuries are due to cutting avocados. 

This explosion of cases could be due to avocados becoming more popular over the past few years. 

Federal data suggests the average American ate 1.5 pounds of avocados per year in 1989, but in 2017, that number soared to 7.5 pounds. 

Avocado hand injuries could result in slicing through crucial nerves, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels. 

According to the University of Utah Health, this may lead to losing the ability to flex your fingers, a dull sensation or loss of sensation in the fingers, having trouble making a fist, and not being able to use your hand normally. 

Dr Wagner's research found that most injuries occurred in women ages 23 to 29, and the wounds were usually in the left hand, as most people used their right hand to hold the knife. 

About half of injuries were cuts on their palms, while the other half were finger injuries.

And most incidents took place on weekends, as Dr Wagner noted more people are cooking and barbecuing during that time and may be less safe than normal. 

'A lot of people I see were at a family event when it happened and alcohol was involved,' he said.  

According to the California Avocado Commission, there are several steps to correctly cutting an avocado. The agency recommends placing the fruit on a cutting board and cutting in half lengthwise around the pit.

Then, rotate the avocado in a quarter-turn and cut lengthwise around the pit again. Put down the knife and separate the quarters to remove the pit.