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July
Schools are out, vacation plans are being made, and summer activities have begun. Community Health Charities wants you to have a safe and healthy summer. The focus for July and August will be on Summer Safety Tips.
If you and your family like to ride bikes, it is important that helmets are worn by adults and children, no matter how short or how close to home the bike ride is. When purchasing a helmet, look for a label or sticker that states the helmet meets the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) safety standard. The helmet should fit level on the head, not tipped forwards or backwards. The strap should be snug. You should not be able to move the helmet. For safety sake, it is wiser to take your child with you to try out bikes instead of making the purchase a surprise.
For many, summer means swimming. Make sure your child knows never to swim alone. Drowning is the second largest accidental cause of death in children and occurs on July 4 more than any other day. A lifeguard or an adult who knows water rescue needs to be watching children at all times. Make sure your child knows only to dive into water when permitted by an adult who knows the depth of the water and who has checked for underwater objects. Use "touch supervision" when in the water with a young child, keeping no more than an arm's length away. Water wings are toys and should not be used as a lifesaving device. Even if your children have taken swimming lessons, they must still be supervised at all times while in the pool. Children can drown in just a few inches of water.
The leading cause of boating accident fatalities is drowning. Before getting into a boat, be sure you and your child know how to swim, as well as put on and adjust a United States Coast Guard personal floatation device (PFD). Be weather-wise and bring a portable radio to check ongoing weather reports. Extra gear such as a flashlight, extra batteries, matches, a map of where you are going, flares, suntan lotion, a first aid kit, and extra sunglasses are also important. Put all necessary items in a watertight pouch or a container that floats. Inform a reliable source where you are going, who you are with, and how long you'll be away. Never overload your boat.
Spending time outdoors in the sun and heat can be risky. Two heat related illnesses that can occur when one is exposed to the heat and sun are heat exhaustion and heat stroke (sun stroke). Those at risk for heat related illnesses are the elderly, the bed ridden, children, those with certain medical conditions, those taking medications like anti-depressants, and those with exposure to excessive heat at work or during exercise. Signs of heat exhaustion can include cool, moist, pale, flushed or red skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, and exhaustion. One's body temperature will be near normal. This condition generally develops when a person is working or exercising in hot weather and does not drink enough liquids to replace those lost fluids. Heat stroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature and the body temperature continues to rise. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and can be life threatening or result in serious long-term complications. Signs of heat stroke include hot, red and dry skin, changes in consciousness, a rapid and weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high; sometimes as high as 105 degrees F. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can often be difficult to distinguish between because they share many signs and symptoms. However, there are two identifiable differences between them. While someone with heat exhaustion exhibits profuse sweating, an individual with heat stroke does not sweat at all. Mental status changes are striking in someone with heat stroke such as loss of consciousness or obvious abnormal mental status changes. Mental status changes in heat exhaustion are not as extreme. Though one may present with feeling faint or mild confusion; however, the individual does not lose consciousness.
Ways to avoid heat related conditions include not exercising vigorously between 10am and 2pm. If the outside temperature is 82 degrees F or above and the humidity is high, exercise for a shorter time. Wear light, loose-fitting clothing such as cotton, so sweat can evaporate. Drink lots of liquids to replace the fluids you lose from sweating, especially if your urine is dark yellow. Thirst is not a reliable sign that your body needs fluids. Avoid very cold drinks as they can cause stomach cramps. Avoid hot tubs or heated whirlpools. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages as they speed up fluid loss. Check regularly on family members and friends that are more at risk such as infants, young children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place such as a shopping mall or a public library.
A favorite summer pastime is barbecuing on the grill. To prevent burns, keep children at least three to four feet away from the barbecue. Ideally one adult should do the cooking while the other watches the children. Be aware that the grill stays hot long after food is cooked and removed. Check for embers blown from the grill; they could scorch bare feet. Choose leaner meats to reduce flames.
With barbecuing comes the importance of food safety. An easy summer food tip is "what's hot stays hot, what's cold stays cold." Bacteria do not grow as quickly at temperatures below 40 degrees F or above 140 degrees F. Keep raw meat juices from leaking onto other foods by double-wrapping the meat and placing it near the bottom of the cooler surrounded by plenty of ice. Do not put food out until you are ready to sit down and eat. Do not leave food out for longer than two hours when the temperature's less than 90 degrees F, or more than an hour when the temperature climbs over 90 degrees F. It is important not to partially cook foods at home to finish at the site; cook foods fully then refrigerate them. Partially cooked foods are breeding grounds for bacteria.
When summer comes, so does the need to cut that fast growing front lawn. Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), the not-for-profit product safety testing organization, states that lawn mower accidents send 84,000 people each year to emergency centers and nearly 15,000 others seeking medical treatment for injuries from trimmers and other power garden tools.
Keep children under age 12 indoors when using a lawn mower or other motorized equipment. Children should never be allowed to ride on a sit down lawn mower with an adult. The child could slip and fall under the rotating blades. Beware of burns by keeping hands away from a hot lawn mower engine casing. Be aware that some of your tools may be so noisy that you will not be able to tell if a child is nearby. Protective safety goggles should be worn when doing outdoor work such as mowing the lawn, weed whacking, edging, etc. Preferably choose those that have been stamped with "ANSI Z-87" on the lenses or frames have been certified by the American National Standards Institute.
It is estimated that this year, in the United States, about 60,000 new cases of melanoma, the most serious of skin cancers, will be diagnosed; over 1,000 new cases will be diagnosed in Connecticut. Skin safety prevention is being pro-active. Sunburns can be prevented; the effects are cumulative. Simple ways to safely enjoy the sun would be the use of sunscreen protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher to protect the sensitive skin of infants and children. Keep babies younger than six months of age out of the sun. Do not use sunscreen on babies younger than six months of age. Instead, use hats, clothing, and shading to protect small babies from the sun. An SPF of 15 or higher is recommended for adults unless their skin burns easily, then SPF of 30 or higher would be best.
Apply sunscreen generously to all exposed areas at least 30 minutes before going into the sun; reapply every two to three hours while in the sun, after swimming or sweating a lot. Keep in mind that sunscreen effectiveness is also affected by the wind, humidity, and altitude.
Other ways to protect yourself from the sun include wearing a hat with a 4 inch wide brim that covers your neck, ears, eyes, and scalp. Wear a T-shirt while swimming but only if sunscreen has also been applied to your skin under the T-shirt. Seek shade in the middle of the day, especially with children. Use lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Sources
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