The 7 biggest health hazards to watch out for this summer
Summer is full of opportunities for fun, but some doctors call it “trauma season,” U.S. News reports.
We talked with Dr. James Phillips, attending physician in emergency medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, to find out how to stay out of the emergency room this season. Below, seven summer health hazards to avoid while having your fun in the sun.
1. Sun exposure
As New Englanders flock outdoors to enjoy the warm weather, Phillips said most summer ER visits are related to the sun.
In addition to wearing sunscreen to avoid burns, he said it’s important to stay hydrated to prevent other sun-related illnesses such as dehydration and heat stroke, which can be compounded by drinking alcohol.
Phillips said you should start drinking fluids and move to a cooler area if you develop a headache, which is the first sign of dehydration, while you’re out in the sun.
“Heat exhaustion is when your body is really starting to suffer the effects of the heat,” he said. “You’re having a hard time cooling yourself, your body temperature starts to rise, and you’re starting to get these generalized feelings of illness.”
Phillips said another sign someone is getting into a medically dangerous situation is when they stop sweating. Changes in mental status, such as confusion or bizarre actions, are symptoms of heat stroke — the most serious sun-related illness.
If you notice those symptoms, he said to call an ambulance for the person to be evaluated.
2. Swimming
To prevent drowning, Phillips said to stick with the rules you learned when you were young — don’t swim alone in open water, make sure someone’s able to see you, and an adult should always be present when children are swimming.
If a person continues to have respiratory trouble afterwards or isn’t acting like themselves after a near-drowning experience, he said they should be seen in an ER immediately.
“Near drowning can still cause problems,” Phillips said.
3. Fireworks
Every year Phillips said he sees someone in the ER with severe burns from trying to be funny or playing with fireworks. Even a firecracker, he said, can cause someone to lose their fingers or require skin grafting.
He recommends making sure your children are always supervised when playing with fireworks.
“Even though firecrackers are very small, they can still cause devastating injuries,” he said.
4. Lawn mowers
People are generally pretty careful around lawn mowers, but Phillips said adults still land in the ER with hand injuries from trying to unstick an object from the machine while it’s on.
To avoid injuries, Phillips said you should always turn the machine off before doing mechanical work and never drive with someone as a passenger on a riding mower.
“Most of us have seen unfortunate accidents where children will fall off and will have either lawn mower blade injuries to their hands or legs,” he said.
5. Yard work
Phillips recommends wearing gloves, pants, and long sleeves if you’re working in an overgrown area to prevent contact with poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.
You can also get poison ivy your eyes, nose, and mouth, so he suggests wearing eye protection and a mask if you’re using a weed trimmer or lawn mower near the plants.
If you develop an itchy, blistering rash from poison ivy, Phillips said you should immediately wash the area with soap and water to remove the plant’s oil. The rash can then be treated with over the counter hydrocortisone cream, but systemic steroids might be necessary if the rash is in a large area, incapacitating, or infected.
6. Ticks
Phillips said to wear long pants, shoes, and socks if you’re in the woods, hiking, or even playing in the front yard to prevent tick bites and the risk of lyme disease.
It’s crucial to have someone help check you for ticks in areas you can’t see, including your arms, back, legs, groin, scalp, and hairline, he said.
“If they do start to develop a rash on the site of the tick bite, that needs to be seen immediately and they need to be started on antibiotics within a couple of days,” Phillips said. “Typically the rash will look like a target sign, where there’s a red spot with red rings around it with a central clearing.”
7. Barbecue
This beloved pastime is a common cause of burns seen in the ER during the summer months, Phillips said.
If you’re using a gas grill, he said the critical step for safety is to use the electric ignition to light it. Using long matches or a long lighter allows too much gas to build up and puts you at risk of receiving a flash burn, he said.
Phillips said to only use lighter fluid designated for charcoal and long matches or a long lighter if you’re using a charcoal grill. Never use gasoline, he said.
“We often times will see people who are in a hurry, so they decide to get creative and use a flammable liquid like gasoline on their charcoal or on wood,” he said.
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