Follow these tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe in warmer weather.
Keep Kids Safe Around Water
A day at the pool, lake or beach is meant to be relaxing, but this isn’t the time to zone out. “Keep eyes on children at all times and never swim alone,” says pediatrician Sarah Yavelberg, MD, a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “It doesn’t matter the activity—if there’s water involved, it can pose a threat.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States there are more than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths, and drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 1 to 4.
Drowning is often silent. Look out for passive signs of struggle, including body upright in the water with little to no leg movement, blank expression, closed eyes and hair covering the face.
To make water activities safer, wear life vests. Avoid alcohol, both when you’re enjoying the water yourself and when you’re responsible for monitoring a child. Enroll youngsters in swim lessons. “Knowing how to swim can be lifesaving for a toddler, reducing the risk of drowning by up to 88%,” Dr. Yavelberg says.
If you see someone in the water who’s in trouble, throw them a flotation device and get help immediately. If you find yourself struggling, float on your back. If you’re caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore to get past it, rather than fighting to get back to shore through it, which can lead to exhaustion.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is important year-round, but when the weather heats up, it’s even more critical to drink plenty of water. For older adults, physiological changes, including decreased kidney function and a reduced sense of thirst, can make matters more challenging.
“Thirst, dry lips, headache, dizziness, cramps, constipation and confusion are all warning signs that you may be getting dehydrated,” says Abhijit Chatterjee, MD, a geriatrician and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “A quick check of your urine can also be very telling. You’re generally safe if it’s pale yellow, but if your urine looks dark yellow or amber, it’s time to increase your fluids.”
Water is best for hydration. Other choices can help, but be careful about habitually reaching for beverages with a lot of sugar, which can have negative health impacts.
“People often wonder about caffeinated beverages,” Dr. Chatterjee says. “While caffeine causes the body to lose fluid through urination, the liquid in a cup of coffee or tea typically balances the diuretic impact of the caffeine.” Alcohol, on the other hand, causes dehydration and should be avoided if you’re already experiencing any warning signs.
High-water-content fruits and vegetables, including watermelon, strawberries, oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, can help you stay hydrated.
Generally, men should aim for about 12 cups of fluid per day, while women need about nine, but requirements change with activity level, heat and other variables.
Beat Extreme Heat
Spending time outdoors in the summer is something many New Jerseyans look forward to with gusto. But unless you’re careful, a hot afternoon can quickly turn into a medical emergency. When the body can’t cool itself, heat exhaustion can set in. Unless steps are taken to reduce the body’s temperature, heatstroke—which can cause multi-organ damage—can develop.
Among the signs of heat exhaustion are cool, clammy skin; dizziness or fainting; tiredness; a rapid, weak heartbeat; muscle cramps; nausea; and headache.
To lower someone’s body temperature, help them seek shade or air conditioning, splash cool water on them and encourage them to drink water.
“The best way to prevent heat illnesses,” says Sreedar V. Raja, MD, medical director, emergency medicine, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, “is to limit your time outdoors on a hot day; dress in light, loose clothing; and drink plenty of water—especially if you’re out exercising or playing sports.”
Protect Your Skin
Outdoor sports and activities are a healthy way to spend the summer days we dream of all winter. Whatever equipment your favorite pastimes require, don’t forget to pack the most important gear—sun protection, including beach umbrellas, hats, sunglasses, UV-blocking shirts and sunscreen.
“Not only can sunblock protect you from getting an uncomfortable sunburn; it can decrease your risk of developing skin cancer down the road,” says pediatric specialist Mary Lutz, MD, a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
Make sure to apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 for adults and 45 for children about a half hour before you head outside.
“Even if it’s cool or cloudy out, don’t leave home without it,” says Jean M. Verlus III, MD, a family physician and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “And remember to reapply every two hours and after swimming for optimum protection.”
Waterproof sunscreen doesn’t exist, but water-resistant sunscreen can protect skin while it’s wet for 40 to 80 minutes (check the label).
Finally, if possible, avoid the sun when it’s strongest, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Infants under 6 months should stay out of direct sunlight altogether. If you need to be outdoors at that time of day, seek shade, whether beneath a wide-brimmed hat, an umbrella or the branches of a tree. For added protection, consider clothing that blocks UV rays and wraparound sunglasses that protect your eyes. Sunscreen is not recommended for infants; choose protective clothing and shade instead.
Don’t Be a Tick Target
New Jersey’s Lyme disease cases are often among the highest in the nation, but this year’s warm weather is causing even more concern. As of late April, emergency room visits for tick bites were already up 27%—and ticks remain active through September. “Warning signs of Lyme disease include its signature bull’s-eye rash, fever, fatigue, joint pain and headache,” says Tatiana Borja, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “If you notice these symptoms, seek treatment.”
The best way to sidestep all the diseases ticks carry is to avoid getting bitten. To mitigate your chances of a bite, avoid heavily wooded areas and high grass; apply a repellent when spending time outdoors; and wear long sleeves, long pants, a hat and closed-toed shoes.
But preventive steps aren’t foolproof, so routine checks are important. “Perform thorough tick checks on yourself, children and pets, and shower within two hours of being outdoors,” says rheumatologist Mayce Haj-Ali, MD, a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. “Make sure to scan concealed areas, too, including the scalp, inside and behind ears, between fingers and toes, and the groin area.”
To remove a tick, grasp it as close to the skin’s surface as possible with clean tweezers and pull it off the skin with steady pressure. Consider sending a photo of the tick to NJ Ticks 4 Science!, a Rutgers Center for Vector Biology citizen science project that tracks tick activity.
