Warm weather and longer days are what make summer the peak outdoor season. Everyone wants to be laying on the beach, enjoying a cookout with friends or playing a friendly game of baseball. This time is great for socializing and staying active but can also result in more injuries and illnesses than other times of the year.
Common Injuries
When you think of summer, chances are good that you imagine the sound of grasshoppers at night and the smell of sunscreen on hot days. Summer is the perfect excuse to spend time with friends and family, but care should always be taken to prevent injuries and illness. [bctt tweet=”Wearing sunscreen, drinking plenty of water and supervising children carefully can significantly reduce outdoor risks.” via=”no”]
Heat Conditions
Too much time in the hot sun and not enough water can lead to mild to moderate heat conditions. Prolonged exposure to the sun can nausea, dizziness, headaches, and confusion. If you plan on being outside for the day, be sure to bring plenty of water and seek out shade to stay cool.
Swimming Injuries
Summertime is the perfect excuse to cool off in the pool, but can also create an environment ripe for injury. Slick surfaces outside the pool and crowds in the water create a chaotic setting that makes it hard to identify someone in distress. Always supervise children in the pool, and keep in mind that next to car accidents, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under 4.
Sunburns
There’s nothing worse than the sting of a fresh sunburn. While most cases of sunburn are mild and easily treated at home with aloe, you may need to see your doctor if your sunburn is blistering or accompanied by nausea, confusion, headache, extreme pain or chills. Never pick or peel a healing sunburn, as this can cause infection or scarring.
Insect Bites & Reactions
More time spent outdoors means a spike in skin irritations from poison ivy, sumac, and oak. Insect and tick bites are also common and, in cases of infection, may require an antibiotic. Try not to itch your bites, keeping them covered if the skin is broken. Signs of possible infection include pain, swelling and redness or heat. If the red area around the bite grows or forms a ring, the bite may be infected.
Sports Injuries
Staying active is a great way to spend a summer day, but it’s also not surprising that this leads to more injuries. Playing frisbee, football and horsing around outside can result in sprained wrists, twisted ankles, and broken bones. When children are playing, always have an adult present. If you’re unsure if an injury is a sprain or break, you’ll need x rays to treat properly.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can happen any time of the year, but since people get together more in the summer, cases of food poisoning are common on hot days. The heat also speeds up the spoiling of food and growth of bacteria. The heat exacerbates symptoms, which includes nausea and vomiting, fever, chills, and diarrhea. Always wash your hands when preparing food, and keep dishes in the refrigerator or cooler when not being served.
Stay Healthy & Safe
It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. While summer offers abundant opportunities for play, it also provides more risks for injury. From painful sunburns and dehydration to sports injuries, there are just some injuries synonymous with summer. With that in mind, being smart and taking steps to avoid and prevent such injury will make for a fun and healthy summer.
Contact Us to learn more about preventing and treating summertime injuries and illnesses.
