Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare | Health Scene

Bug basics

How to avoid things

that bite and sting

Do you feel like a target for bugs

when you venture outdoors?

While you might not be able to

avoid every encounter with the in-

sect world, you can actually do a lot

to steer clear of bug bites and stings.

And doing so may help protect your

health. Stings can be dangerous if you

are allergic, and bug bites can spread

diseases, such as West Nile virus and

Lyme disease.

Here are some tips from the

American College of Emergency

Physicians and other experts.

Offer no safe harbor.

Standing

water attracts mosquitoes, and soon

you have a breeding ground in your

yard. Get rid of

or frequently empty

buckets, pet dishes and other poten-

tial water sources. And keep pests out

of the house with window screens

or netting.

Apply for protection.

If you are

heading into insect territory such

as woody, brushy or grassy areas

repellents containing DEET, pi-

caridin or IR can help ward o

stings and bites. Be careful not to

use any insect repellents on babies,

however. Repellents used on older

kids should contain no more than

percent DEET.

Be unattractive—to bugs, that is.

Insects can be attracted to fragrances.

So don’t use heavily scented products,

and forgo perfume.

Cover up.

Wear long sleeves and

long pants.

Get help.

Seek medical treatment

right away if you are bitten or stung

and experience symptoms such as

wheezing, hives, nausea, vomiting,

dizziness, trouble breathing, chest

tightness, and itching or swelling of

any part of the face.

Cool moves

tips for exercising in the heat

Whether you’re out for your daily run or a power walk, be

smart in the heat. As the mercury rises, so does your risk

of getting painful muscle cramps or feeling light-headed

when you exercise—or even becoming so overheated that

your life is at risk.

And while hot weather can make anyone sick, it’s par-

ticularly risky for people who work out in it. A key reason:

Both exercise and high temperatures increase your core

body temperature.

Despite this double threat, you don’t need to skip

warm-weather workouts. But the ve precautions that

follow are a must to protect you from a heat-triggered

illness, including heatstroke, a potentially deadly medi-

cal emergency. ese safeguards are especially important

when it’s humid. Humidity keeps sweat from evaporating,

which is how your body cools down in the heat.

Now, here are the speci cs:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Don’t wait to drink until

you’re thirsty. By the time you’re actually thirsty, your

body is well on the way to becoming dehydrated, which

makes it hard to sweat and cool down.

How much should you drink? Generally, it’s a good

idea to drink to ounces of uid every to minutes

during exercise, according to the American Council on

Exercise. Water is ne. But if you exercise continuously

for more than an hour or two, you need a sports drink

to replace lost electrolytes.

Check with your doctor about howmuch uid to drink

if you take water pills or you’ve been advised to limit

uids.

Use common

sense.

Work out

in the cooler parts

of the day, either

early in the morn-

ing or early in the

evening. When it’s

hot out, also dial

back the intensity

and length of your workouts. And strongly consider mov-

ing your workouts inside—to a gym, for example.

Dress for the weather.

Wear loose, lightweight, light-

colored clothing.

Ease into the heat.

Not used to exercising in high

temperatures? en give your body time to adjust by

gradually increasing how active you are over 7 to 10 days.

Pay attention to your body.

Stop all activity and get

to a cool place if you feel faint or weak.

Additional sources: American College of Sports Medicine; American Heart Association;

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Take heat-related illnesses

seriously. Call 911 or come

to our emergency room if

you suspect someone is

sick from the heat.

SUN SAFETY

Tips to beat the burn

Don’t stay out in direct sunlight for too long.

Take extra care near water, sand and snow.

All of these surfaces reflect and intensify the

sun’s damaging rays, increasing your

chances of sunburn.

SEEK SHADE

Cover as much of your skin as possible.

Dark colors and tightly woven fabrics offer

the most protection. A hat with a 2- to 3-inch

brim all around is a good choice, as is a cap

with fabric down the sides and back. Don’t

forget to protect your eyes. Melanoma can

develop in the eyes, so choose glasses that

block 99 to 100% of UV rays.

COVER UP

Choose a broad-spectrum, water-resistant

sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF)

of 30 or more. Apply it generously to all

exposed skin before you go outside.

Reapply at least every two hours and after

swimming or sweating. Protect your lips by

wearing lip balm that contains sunscreen.

USE SUNSCREEN

Sources: American Academy of Dermatology; American Cancer Society

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