Memorial Day weekend health hazards: How to avoid them and still have fun.
/1. DON'T GO BAREFOOT
* Places not to go barefoot: public restrooms, wooden decks, hot sand
* Wooden decks or boardwalks can put you at risk for splinters
* Public restrooms are swimming with bacteria
* Hot sand can burn the bottom of your feet
* Shells and rocks in the water can cut your feet
Tips to avoid:
* Always wear flip-flips or shoes, possibly even water shoes if wading in the water
* Seek medical attention if you injure your feet; don’t let an open sore or wound go untreated. Can lead to infection.
* Wash your feet after activities.
2. BEWARE OF THE WATER
* Certain beaches may have jellyfish population
* Staying under water for too long can cause Swimmer’s ear (ear infection that requires treatment)
* Eating before swimming can cause upset stomach, stomach cramps
* Drinking alcohol while swimming is dangerous – dehydration, dizziness, sluggishness can make it difficult to swim safely
Tips to avoid:
* Avoid water if you see jellyfish. If you get stung, rinse off tentacles using hot water or salt water, take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain, and monitor yourself for allergic reaction.
* Avoid staying in or under the water for too long to avoid Swimmer’s ear
* If you start to feel pain in your ears after swimming, see a doctor
* Don’t eat right before swimming; let food digest for about 30 min.
* Don’t drink alcohol and swim
3. GRILLING HAZARDS
· Fire, gas, and grease can be a recipe for disaster
· You can burn your hands, face, or another part of your body if not careful
· Charcoal grills cause more fires than gas grills
· Smoke from your grill or smoker contains carbon monoxide, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), and other dangerous substances. PAH are cancer causing substances that are formed when grease burns.
Tips to avoid:
* Practice good grilling safety
* Clean grill before using to avoid any flare-ups from old residue.
* Inspect gas tank before grilling. Number one cause of gas grill fires is an obstruction in the path of the fuel.
* Be careful adding lighter fluid to hot coals. When it burns it turns into gas which can explode.
* Avoid breathing in any smoke from the grill.
4. BEWARE OF TICKS
* Ticks can cause disease
o Blacklegged ticks can cause Lyme disease
o American dog ticks (“wood ticks” can cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever
* Early detection of tick-borne illness is important to prevent potentially severe complications.
Tips to avoid:
* Wear tick repellent: DEET
* Be wary of ticks when walking in certain areas: wooded or brushy areas for the blacklegged tick; grassy or wooded areas for the American dog tick.
* Wear protective clothing in areas known for ticks.
* Check yourself and your pets for ticks daily
* Wash clothes and hair at night
* If you find a tick, remove carefully using tweezers. Make sure tick’s head is removed from bite site. Watch for signs of skin infection.
5. BE CAREFUL IN THE SUN
* Sun is strongest between 10am-4pm
* Prolonged exposure to sun can cause sunburn, skin damage, skin cancer, dehydration, heat stroke
* Drinking alcohol in the sun is dangerous – dehydration, heatstroke, dizziness
Tips to avoid:
* Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
* Wear broad spectrum sunscreen, (to protect against UVA and UVB rays), water resistant, at least SPF 30. Reapply every 2 hours or more often if swimming.
* Seek shade, wear a hat and sunglasses.
* Limit alcohol consumption in sun.
Why certain sunscreens work better?
- Best sunscreen: At least SPF 15-30, broad-spectrum, water-resistant
- SPF stands for sun protection factor, which is a measure of how well the sunscreen deflects UVB rays.
- Manufacturers calculate SPF based on how long it takes to sunburn skin that's been treated with the sunscreen as compared with skin that hasn't been treated with sunscreen.
- The best sunscreen has the highest SPF number.
- When applied correctly, a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will provide slightly more protection from UVB rays than does a sunscreen with an SPF of 15.
- Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect you from UVA and UVB rays
How to tell if you have been bitten with an infected tick
Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary and usually affect more than one system. The skin, joints and nervous system are affected most often.
Early signs and symptoms; may occur within a month after you've been infected:
- Rash. A small, red bump may appear at the site of the tick bite. This small bump is normal after a tick bite and doesn't indicate Lyme disease. However, over the next few days, the redness may expand forming a rash in a bull's-eye pattern, with a red outer ring surrounding a clear area. The rash, called erythema migrans, is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease. Some people develop this rash at more than one place on their bodies.
- Flu-like symptoms. Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash.
- Later signs and symptoms; may appear several weeks to months after you've been infected:
- Rash may spread to other parts of the body
- Joint pain. You may develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling. Your knees are especially likely to be affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.
- Neurological problems. Weeks, months or even years after you were infected, you may experience inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs, and impaired muscle movement.
Less common signs and symptoms; may occur several weeks after infection:
- Heart problems, such as an irregular heartbeat. Heart problems rarely last more than a few days or weeks.
- Eye inflammation.
- Liver inflammation (hepatitis).
- Severe fatigue.