Staying Safe This Summer: How to Beat the Heat

As the weather turns warm and the schools empty out, many families start their summer travel adventures. Where are you going this year? To a theme park? Camping? Across the country to visit relatives? Just stay at home and enjoying company? Wherever you go, make sure that you take proper safety precautions especially in a light time such as summer.

The fact is that weather affects everyone, but heat can be particularly dangerous for the elderly, infants, and those who are overweight, sedentary, or ill. Even healthy people can make the wrong choices on a hot summer day. Each year hundreds of people die from heatstroke and thousands are hospitalized. According to researchers at the University of Delaware Center for Climatic Research, the continuing effects of global warming could cause an increase in heatstroke victims.

Heat Fatigue

Symptoms: weakness, fatigue, profuse sweating, light-headedness, confusion, shallow breathing, and rapid pulse. The skin is cool and moist to the touch.

Cause: prolonged exposure to hot and humid weather.

Treatment: rest in a cool place, and drink plenty of water.

Heat Cramps

Symptoms: muscle spasms in the legs and abdomen, heavy sweating. The skin is cool and clammy. In extreme cases the victim may have convulsions and/or lose consciousness. Caution: symptoms sometimes don't appear until later in the day.

Cause: water and mineral loss because of prolonged activity in hot weather without replenishment.

Treatment: stop exercising, rest in a cool place, and replace water and electrolytes by sipping a sports drink such as Gatorade. Most experts discourage taking salt tablets, but some recommend mixing a solution of one teaspoon salt to one gallon water and sipping it every 15 minutes for an hour or so. Follow this remedy with plenty of fresh water. Caution: Do not drink this salt solution unless there is fresh water available.

Prevention: drink plenty of water and electrolyte solutions throughout the day, and eat fresh fruits.

Heat Exhaustion (or Heat Prostration)

Symptoms: fatigue, headache, light-headedness, lack of coordination, excessive sweating, fast heart rate, nausea, and vomiting. The skin is generally pale, cold, and clammy. The victim may also have heat cramps, tingling in the hands and feet, and then might begin hyperventilating.

Cause: excessive sweating in hot weather.

Treatment: move the victim to a cooler place; have them lie down with their feet up. Loosen their clothing. Apply cool compresses to the skin. Give them an electrolyte solution and a half glass of water every 15 minutes. The victim should rest in the shade for at least 30 minutes and curtail activity for 24 hours. Some experts suggest staying out of the heat for several days.

Heatstroke (or Sunstroke)

Symptoms: body temperature of 105[degrees]F or more; chills; lack of sweating; confusion; convulsions; nausea; weak, rapid pulse; and difficulty breathing. The skin is hot, dry, and often red. The victim may lose consciousness. This is a life-threatening illness. Heatstroke is more common among the elderly and is often mistaken for a heart attack.

Cause: heatstroke occurs when the body has become so overheated that the temperature control system fails.

Treatment: call an ambulance. This is a medical emergency. In the meantime, move the victim to a cooler place, have them lie down with their head elevated, and quickly cool the body by immersing them in cool water or wrapping them in wet sheets and fanning them. Place cold packs on the wrists and ankles and cool compresses in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels.

Experts disagree about giving the heatstroke victim water. Some say to give small sips of water as long as they are conscious; others suggest waiting until their temperature drops and they are no longer nauseous.

Preventing Heat-related Illness

If your travels take you to a hot, humid area, limit physical activity while there. Prolonged exposure to severe heat and humidity interferes with your body's ability to cool itself down. So if you keep working, for example, and your body's cooling system can't keep up, you're at risk of suffering a heat-related illness.

* When you're visiting one of America's hot spots, whether you're hiking, bicycling, or just sightseeing, take regular breaks in the shade or inside air-conditioned buildings. Don't wait until you're drenched in sweat or feeling woozy to seek shade.

* On an extremely hot day, consider hanging out in your air-conditioned hotel room or spending the day in an air-conditioned mall or museum. Go swimming.

* When pursuing an outdoor activity, seek a shady spot. Choose an expansive grassy area with trees rather than a closed-in canyon.

* Wear loose-fitting light-colored clothing. Cotton and linen are recommended, as they absorb perspiration. Wear a hat with a wide brim. Wear shoes with thick soles to protect your feet from the burning pavement.

* Eat light. Avoid foods that are high in protein, sugar, and fat, as they tend to increase your metabolic heat. Eat pasta and fruits such as melons.

* Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Avoid drinks with caffeine o and alcohol, as they tend to dehydrate the body and reduce your tolerance to heat.

* Many prescription drugs interfere with the body's ability to endure heat. Ask your doctor about reducing the dosage of prescribed drugs if you plan a trip to one of America's hot spots.

Sunburn

Sunburn is probably the most common summertime ailment, and sometimes it can be severe. Here are some tips for diagnosing, treating, and preventing sunburn.

Symptoms: painful red skin. In serious cases, the affected areas swell and blister. The victim may also experience chills, fever, headache, and nausea. In severe cases, delirium and kidney failure can occur.

Cause: too much exposure to the direct sun. Some medications, including antibiotics, can increase the risk of sunburn.

Treatment: for mild sunburn, rub a light cream or oil on the affected skin. In more severe cases, apply wet gauze dressings to the sunburned area and take aspirin to reduce pain. In serious cases, seek medical care.

Prevention: avoid the sun's rays between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Use sunscreen with SPF of 15 or greater anytime you're going to be outside for more than 20 minutes. It's possible to get sunburned through clothing, on foggy days, and from sun reflected off bodies of water and rocks.

Don't forget to use sunscreen on the tops of your feet when wearing sandals or going barefooted, and the tops of your ears if they're exposed.

Sun Blindness

Symptoms: burning, watery eyes; headache.

Cause: intense direct or reflected sunlight into unprotected eyes.

Treatment: bathe eyes with cold compresses and cover them with bandages or dark glasses for about 24 hours.

Prevention: avoid prolonged exposure to bright sunlight or sunlight reflected off snow or water. Wear sunglasses with UV protection.

Altitude Sickness (or Mountain Sickness)

Cause: lack of oxygen. There's less oxygen in the atmosphere in the mountains. When you breathe this thinner air, there's less oxygen going into your blood.

Symptoms: flulike symptoms such as headache, lethargy, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and sometimes swelling of the face, hands, and feet. Anyone can experience altitude sickness, and most do at heights above 8,200 feet. It can be more severe with people who have heart or lung problems. Symptoms generally become evident within 48 hours of arriving. The higher the altitude, the greater the effects.

Treatment: a doctor can prescribe a medication called acetazolamide (Diamox) to help prevent or treat altitude sickness. Note: Do not take this if you're allergic to sulfa drugs. For mild altitude sickness, rest, take aspirin in normal doses, and avoid alcohol. For a more severe case, go to a lower altitude. Take oxygen if you're having trouble breathing.

Prevention: altitude sickness is preventable. The key is taking your time to reach your mountain destination. Aware climbers typically take two days to reach 8,000 feet and another day for each 1,000 feet higher. Keep this rule of thumb in mind when you're driving to a mountain resort. You might stay overnight in Denver before driving up to the Rocky Mountain National Park, for example.

After reaching your destination in the mountains, avoid strenuous activity for the first couple of days. Drink extra nonalcoholic fluids and stay away from fatty, sugary foods.

To minimize heat-related illness and altitude sickness, make sure that everyone in your family is in peak condition before traveling. It may be that you always follow a healthy routine. But especially during the week before leaving on a trip, get enough sleep, eat sensibly, and plan ahead so that you aren't rushed. The better care you take of yourself and your family before your trip, the more easily you'll tolerate extremes in weather and altitude and the more successful your trip will be.

Summer Safety for Kids

* Never forget a first-aid kit. The basics: Band-Aids and gauze bandages for dressing wounds, scissors, adhesive tape for securing gauze, antibacterial ointment for inevitable boo-boos, distilled water for cooling burns and a folded sheet that can be used to make an impromptu sling or wrap.

* Never leave a child alone in a hot car, where temperatures can reach above 100[degrees]F. Hyperthermia (unusually high body temperatures) can lead to heatstroke or even death.

In the backyard

* Apply a DEET-based insect repellent such as OFF! Skintastic to your child's skin as often as needed, avoiding contact with her hands, eyes or mouth. (A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that DEET-based repellents work best against mosquito bites.)

* If you prefer natural ingredients, look for repellents containing soybean oil, such as Bite Blocker for Kids, or citronella, which offer some protection. (Repellents of all kinds should be applied sparingly to children age 3 and under.)

* Drain the kiddie pool and water buckets after every use--standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

* Don't dress your child in bright-colored clothing or let him play near flower gardens--they attract bees.

* If she is bitten or stung, an ice pack can offer instant relief.

On the patio

* Never, under any circumstances, let kids play near a grill.

* Keep lighter fluid, matches and charcoal out of reach.

* Always be sure someone is watching the grill when it's lit.

* If a child is burned, run cold water over the affected area. Fluid-filled blisters on hands, feet or large areas of the body may require medical attention.

On the beach

* Don't skip sun protection; Black people are susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends limiting a child's time in the sun by seeking shade, using a hypoallergenic sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and covering up as much as possible.

* Reapply sunscreen frequently, at least every two hours, and more often if your young one is swimming or sweating.

* If the child does sunburn (some signs: redness or blotchy patches, blistering, skin sensitivity), take him out of the sunlight and wrap him in a cool, wet towel to soothe the burn.

Summer safety

* Never apply butter, lard, margarine, petroleum jelly or vitamin E to blisters; use an antibiotic ointment and a sterile dressing. Pediatric acetaminophen or ibuprofen also help.

* To avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion, have your little one take a break from playing at least every 20 minutes to replenish fluids, advises Paula Elbirt, M.D., director of Primary Care Education at Brooklyn Hospital Center.

* Seek immediate medical attention if he experiences excessive sweating, headaches, fainting spells or vomiting; has a fever higher than 101.3[degrees]F; or looks or acts sick.

In the woods

* To lessen the chance of children's encountering ticks, which can carry sicknesses such as Lyme disease, dress youngsters in light-colored long-sleeved clothing; tuck their pants into their socks; and use an insect repellent that contains DEET, like Deep Woods OFF!, on their skin. Though this may seem like a hassle, it is a worthwhile investment in the longrun.

* Once the child comes back indoors, inspect her from head to toe. If you find a tick, use a pair of tweezers to remove it.

* If a child touches poison ivy, poison oak or a sumac plant, causing an itchy rash with pin-size clear blisters, give him a thorough bath to remove the oily resin that caused the reaction. Apply calamine lotion to soothe itching.

By the pool

* Keep close watch on your child around a pool at all times, even if he's had swimming lessons. A child can drown in an instant.

* Keep toys away from pool area; a child could drown trying to retrieve a toy from the water.

* If you have a pool in your backyard, lock all doors leading from the house to the pool whenever possible so that your child doesn't wander out when you're not looking.

* Lock up pool chemicals out of a child's reach.

* Get CPR training, and keep lifesaving equipment, such as a ring, rope or pole, as well as a telephone, nearby.

If you or your child has been bitten by a tick, in 80 percent of cases a red, slowly expanding bulls-eye rash will occur, accompanied by tiredness, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches and joint pain. The rash and other symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after tick exposure and results in lyme disease.

If you notice the rash, make sure to get to the doctor right away. Experts say that taking antibiotics for three to four weeks is generally effective when the disease is caught early. Later disease may require intravenous antibiotics for a month or more.

Have fun over the summer, but take proactive measures to protect you and your family!