CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Ready for summer?
As the temperatures increase and people are spending more time outside, we are on your side with tips to keep you safe.
Dr. Kathleen Curtis joined the Digital Desk to discuss summer health tips from managing heat to dealing with jelly fish. Watch the segment in the video player on this page.
Curtis works at Greenbrier Family Medicine, a Sentara Medical Group practice. She offered her general advice to patients and shared the top questions the practice gets during the season.
Be sure to contact your own primary care doctor for medical advice and recommendations.
Handling the summer heat
“One of the most common questions we get is about heat-related illnesses and how to stay safe in these really high temperatures and humidity we get in the Hampton Roads area,” Curtis said.
It’s all about trying to stay cool.
Dress appropriately for the weather. She recommends wearing light colors and loose layers.
“I can’t stress hydration enough,” Curtis said.
Also, keep well-hydrated. Have water available and sip throughout the day.
If you are feeling overheated, it’s important to get out of the sun. Find shade or get indoors where there is air conditioning.
Between about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the sun is the most intense. Be careful outdoors during this time.
What are signs to know you’re overheated?
“There’s one common myth that’s out there, that is, with heat exhaustion, that an individual will quit sweating,” Curtis said.
According to Curtis, when you stop sweating, that does not mean someone is becoming overheated.
Generally, people will begin to feel warm, their cheeks will be flushed and they may become irritable in heat, particularly with children.
Sunburn care
It starts with prevention.
What kind of sunscreen should you use?
“With sunscreen, you want to get a broad spectrum sunscreen,” Curtis said. “Preferably one that covers spectrums A and B and has a high SPF of at least 50.”
Curtis recommends applying it at least 30 minutes before going outdoors.
If using a spray and it is moist on the skin, it can wash off easily.
“One tip I like to give my patients is, if you are using a spray sunscreen, you do want to apply it in advance of going in the water so the sunscreen has died,” Curtis said.
Don’t forget to wear a hat, preferably wide brimmed to cover the face and the back of the neck.
What should you do for mild sunburns?
Typically, a mild sunburn shows within a few hours to 24 hours after exposure.
When you see sunburn, damage has already occurred, so managing any discomfort is the main priority.
You can use a hypoallergenic moisturizer on the skin and apply cool compresses. It won’t heal the burn, but it will keep the burns comfortable.
Anti-inflammatory medications can also offer relief.
What about a more serious sunburn?
You might see blistering on a serious sunburn. Those will heal in about seven to 10 days.
“That does indicate it is a deeper burn and we really should treat that skin very cautiously with gentle moisturizing and staying out of the sun until we heal,” Curtis said.
Generally, serious sunburns can be managed on your own. But, if there is extensive blistering across large parts of the body, Curtis advises making an appointment with your primary care provider so they can check the skin and make sure it is healing well.
Jellyfish stings
Jellyfish stings are common in the local waterways, but Curtis said she hasn’t heard of the sea animals being too much of a problem.
Typically, someone will see a bright red, linear mark. It can be blistery or look like hives, Curtis said.
The important thing is to make sure you get the stingers off. Curtis recommends you use sea water to clean the area.
“If you can see any visible stingers, remove those right away,” Curtis said.
She said there are myths on how to manage the stings; you may have heard of remedies like vinegar and even urine.
Methods to ease the pain have been studied, and Curtis said heat can be more effective. If you are able to take a hot shower, that can make a difference and relieve the skin.
A cold pack or ice pack will work fine as a secondary measure, in the meantime, before someone is able to use that remedy.
Another interesting method to help clean and relieve the area?
Shaving cream.
Curtis offered an anecdotal remedy. You can put shaving cream on the area, and use an edge of a credit card to scrape away the impacted area on the skin.
“The thought is that would dislodge any stingers that are still present,” Curtis said. “And the shaving cream will kind of catch those and bind those up, so other parts aren’t getting stung.”
While not based on medical research, this has been said to relieve pain.
A few other household items that could offer relief: baking soda and meat tenderizer that contains papain.
Ticks and other bugs
Time outside is likely to mean dealing with flies, bees and maybe even coming into contact with ticks.
For bee or wasp stings, first make sure to remove the stinger. Then, to relieve any pain, Curtis said you can apply a cool compress to the area, or spot use some cortisone steroid-type first-aid cream.
If itchy from bug bites, Curtis said a non-sedating antihistamine can be very helpful.
“For individuals that get real bitten up and they have extensive bites over their body, we don’t recommend large-scale use of topical antihistamine, like a Benadryl cream, in that manner,” Curtis said.
In that case, Curtis worries about toxicity with patients having both topical antihistamines in combination with oral antihistamine. Be sure to contact your primary care for specific advice on treatments.
How to handle ticks?
“When it comes to tick bites, prevention goes a long way,” Curtis said.
If you are out camping, hiking or moving in tall grass for extended period of time, she recommends dressing appropriately.
- Wear protective clothing like longer pants and tucking them into socks, to avoid anything latching on to the ankle.
- Wear a hat to prevent ticks falling from a low hanging branch.
Do a tick check after being outside.
Curtis said there are many tick-borne illnesses out there.
Lyme disease is mostly transmitted by the deer tick. Deer ticks are usually the size of a poppy seed.
“What can be very troubling is they are very easy to overlook,” Curtis said.
Tweezers are one of the best ways to remove a tick. Be careful, and move slowly, making sure to get the head of the tick out of the skin.
Follow up with your primary care provider for any specific questions, treatment options and more.
Find more tips in the Digital Desk segment in the video player on this page.
