Effective Solutions for Common Summer Afflictions

The summer months bring more free time, longer daylight hours, and fun outdoor activities. Unfortunately, they also bring problems associated with exposure to heat, sun, and insects. Quick relief is the key to getting back to your vacation plans.

Sunburn is probably the most common summer ailment. Considering the danger of skin cancer, the best approach is obviously prevention, by wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, staying in the shade whenever possible, and avoiding exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But it's easy to end up with a burn when you're having fun.

Noxema cream has long been a standard for treating sunburn, and it's no less effective today. The moisturizer and cooling herbal ingredients often provide relief, especially for isolated sunburn on the nose, face or shoulders. But it can prove expensive and the scent overwhelming for allover body burns.

A cool bath with baking soda will help the skin's overheated feeling. Rubbing the skin with an astringent is also cooling, but rubbing alcohol can be drying. Vinegar or witch hazel is preferable. To speed the healing process, aloe vera is the best treatment of all, but commercial products are often not 100% pure. They may contain carriers, or worse, alcohol and fragrance, which can be drying and irritating to damaged skin. It's best to use juice directly from the plant, though it can be difficult to obtain on vacation.

People with sensitive skin often suffer problems that are less common but more chronic. Heat and humidity combined with friction in sensitive areas can cause heat rash, especially in children. It can be easily prevented by rubbing corn starch under the arms, between the thighs, and in other affected areas.

Children who are suddenly going barefoot after a wintertime of wearing shoes may suffer cracked skin under their toes. Cracked toes can be quite painful and sometimes will even bleed. For a bathtub with just enough warm water to cover the toes, use half a cup of table salt and soak daily.

Insect bites and stings can cause symptoms ranging from pain and itching to serious allergic reactions. For those with mild allergic reactions, a dose of Benadryl immediately after a bite or sting can lessen the reaction. It's important, however, for those with serious allergies to have allergy shots available or seek immediate medical attention.

For those without allergies, stings and bites can still be considerable irritations. The best treatment for bee stings is applying chewing tobacco that has been moistened, though for other obvious health reasons, preferably not by chewing it. If that's not available, a paste of baking soda will provide some relief.

Mosquitoes may be the most significant plague for those in humid climates. Even without the threat of West Nile virus, the itching and swelling of mosquito bites can verge on maddening. Unfortunately, not much will relieve symptoms after a bite, but there are ways to prevent being bitten. Avon's Skin-so-Soft oil is a time-honored insect repellent, but it doesn't always work for people who just seem to be mosquito magnets. Some troops in Iraq have taken to eating the head of two matches the day before being in the field and found that the ingested sulfur is an effective repellent.

Both red fire ants and the tinier species of black ants can also deliver painful, itchy bites. Benadryl is especially effective for ant bites if taken immediately. For itching bites, applying castor oil infused with essential oils of lavender, tea tree, and lemon provides relief. For every 4 ounces of castor oil, add 15 drops of each oil. This is a concentrated blend that shouldn't be used for large skin areas but dabbed onto the bite with a cotton swab. Lemon oil can cause photosensitivity of the skin, and for areas that will be exposed to the sun, eliminate this ingredient. Then increase the amounts of lavender and tea tree to 20 drops.

In summertime, the living's not always easy. But a few simple strategies can ensure the perils of the outdoors don't make the pleasures of the season harder to enjoy.