Barbecues and bee stings
Carlos Berio knows what you’re thinking: “The sun is out! It’s really nice outside! I’m joining that kickball league from last summer.” And while the physical therapist in Alexandria, Virginia, is in full support of physical activity, he and other health professionals are thinking something different: The sun’s out — and that means the doctor’s in. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits jump by about 14 percent between spring and summer months; other organizations have reported a rise as high as 27 percent. And while skin cancer risk rightfully dominates summertime health warnings, you should protect yourself against these seasonal health problems as well:
1. Dehydration
Yeah, yeah, yeah — you know you should drink more water year-round, and especially during the summer when you’re sweating much of it out. But preventing dehydration — which can cause fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps, disorientation, fainting and shock — is more nuanced than that, says Dr. Ernest Brown, a family physician in the District of Columbia. “Drink fluids with electrolytes,” he advises. “Water is not enough.” That means rotating in sports drinks — and rotating out alcohol and caffeine “since they make you pee more,” says Dr. Marie Jhin, a dermatologist in San Francisco and San Carlos, California. Aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces daily, and more if you’re active.
2. Heat exhaustion
One moment British singer Rita Ora was posing for a clothing line campaign, the next she was on the ground. This 2013 incident was no dramatic call for attention — it was heat exhaustion, a condition often tied to dehydration that can manifest as nausea, dizziness, heavy sweating, weakness and headache, explains Dr. Jennifer Caudle, an assistant professor of family medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey. To prevent it, “avoid the hottest times of day; drink plenty of water; take breaks if outside doing strenuous work or exercise; avoid alcoholic, sugary or caffeinated drinks; and wear lightweight and light-colored clothing,” she suggests.
3. Heat stroke
What’s the worst that could happen if you don’t prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion? Heat stroke — a medical emergency that affects about 20 in every 100,000 people in U.S. cities during hot weather months and is responsible for at least 240 deaths country-wide each year, according to an article in American Family Physician. Be on the lookout for confusion or loss of consciousness, high body temperature, hot and dry skin or profuse sweating, Caudle says. In these cases, call for medical help ASAP and remove the person from heat, strip off extra clothes and cool them with a fan or ice packs, experts advise.
4. Drowning
Splashing, diving, pool partying — it’s all fun and games until someone drowns. Sure enough, drowning is responsible for 380,000 deaths per year worldwide, reports a 2016 paper in the journal Resuscitation. Perhaps more startling is that drowning causes more deaths in 1- to 4-year-old kids than anything except birth defects, and it’s the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for 1- to 14-year-olds, the CDC reports. Prevent a summer tragedy by learning or teaching others to swim, ensuring proper supervision and poolside barriers like fences and avoiding alcohol around water, Caudle suggests. Adds Jhin: “Don’t think floaties are a replacement for swimming ability.”
5. Bug bites
Compared to unconsciousness or death by heat stroke or drowning, a measly mosquito bite seems like a small price to pay for summer adventures like camping, picnicking or traveling. And while it usually is, some can spread diseases such as Zika, Dengue, West Nile Virus and Chikungunya, Caudle says. Protect yourself by putting screens on windows and doors, wearing Environmental Protection Agency-approved bug repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing and checking the CDC website before planning travel to potentially Zika-infected areas. Fend off ticks — which can carry Lyme disease and other illnesses — by avoiding tall grass, wearing appropriate clothing and repellent, treating pets for ticks and following other advice from the CDC.
6. Ankle, knee and back pain
Whether you’re called to a summer softball league, pickup beach volleyball game or neighborhood tennis match, resist the temptation to overcommit if you’ve been slacking in the off season, Berio, the physical therapist, recommends. “As the weather improves … we tend to treat people for acute ankle, knee and back pain,” he says. The good news? Such injuries — which, aside from annoyances and pains, can sour your attitude toward fitness — are almost entirely avoidable by working with a professional to adopt an appropriate exercise routine year-round. “A little bit of preparation for the type and intensity of movements you will be doing goes a very long way,” Berio says.
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6 Health Hazards to Watch Out for This Summer Other Than Skin Cancer originally appeared on usnews.com
