It’s All Fun & Games Until… Summer Safety and First Aid

After being cooped up during the long winter we are all eager to get outside for some summer fun but along with all of that activity come the inevitable dangers.  Are you prepared for the unexpected summer injury or illness?  Even if you have your One Quart First Aid Kit handy, would you know what to do in some of these common situations?

Bee & Wasp Stings

Wasps and bees love the smell of your lemonade and perfume.  Do yourself a favor and keep the sweet smells to a minimum at your next summer event.  However, if you find yourself the unwitting target of a bee’s stinger, use the edge of a credit card or the blunt side of a knife to scrape it out.  Do not use your fingers to remove the stinger.  You might inadvertently squeeze more venom into your skin causing further irritation.  To soothe the sting, apply a paste of water and baking soda to the site or dab on one drop of lavender essential oil to relieve the pain.  If the person who has been stung begins to have breathing difficulties, immediately call 911 or drive them to the nearest Emergency Room for treatment.  They may be having a potentially deadly allergic reaction to the sting.

Poison Ivy, Oak or Sumac

“Leaves of three, let it be.”  Unless you are one of the lucky few who are apparently immune to the oils of the poison ivy plant, you have no doubt experienced it’s fury a time or two.  It is important that you and your children are able to identify poison ivy and her two sisters and avoid it at all costs.  If you or someone in your family accidentally comes into contact with poison ivy, immediately wash the affected area with cold water only.  Using hot water will allow the pores on your skin to open and absorb the highly allergenic oils.  You have approximately 15 minutes to wash up before your skin has absorbed the oils.  If you’ve missed your window of washing or you were not aware that you touched the plant and a rash develops, you can use calamine lotion and cortisone creams to ease the itch.  Soaking in an oatmeal bath will also offer some relief, as will treatments containing Jewelweed such as Burt's Bees Poison Ivy Soap.  For a particularly severe rash or significant swelling it is important to see your doctor for a prescription cortisone treatment.  Continued scratching can lead to highly contagious skin infections such as impetigo. 

Immediately wash, by themselves, any clothing or other items that may have come into contact with the oils.  Turn the items inside out as carefully as possible to avoid spreading the oils.  Don't forget items such as hand towels in the bathroom or sleeping bags, if you've been camping.  Thoroughly wipe down any surface that may have been touched after someone comes into contact with the plant, including pruning sheers.  My husband keeps a bottle of anti-bacterial hand sanitizer in the garage to wipe down his gardening gloves and any gardening equipment that may have been used near poison ivy.  The active oils can remain on unwashed surfaces for up to a year!

For more information on identifying poison ivy, oak and sumac, check out the Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Information Center.  For additional treatment suggestions the American Academy of Dermatology Poison Ivy page is also helpful.

Heat Stroke

We’re headed for a heat wave here in the Northeast and that increases the potential for heat stroke.  Staying hydrated is of ultimate importance, especially if you are sweating profusely.  When you sweat your body loses salt and electrolytes.  One of the first signs of heat exhaustion is cramping.  If you begin to experience leg cramps it is important to immediately cool off and drink non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic fluids until it goes away.  Along with water, it is beneficial to drink liquids containing salt and electrolytes, such as R.W. Knudsen's Recharge Sports Drink, to replenish the body’s supply.  If you ignore the early signs of heat exhaustion, your body becomes unable to cool itself properly and you’ll be headed for heat stroke.  As the body heats up, the blood thickens and this increases your chances of having a stroke.  Some of the signs of heat stroke are:

• Red, hot, dry skin
• Rapid pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Confusion
• Dizziness

If you’ve missed the early signs and have not allowed the body to cool naturally, apply ice packs to the groin, armpits and neck where blood flow is closer to the surface of the skin.  It is also beneficial to immerse the body in cool water, taking a cool shower or wrapping the body in a cool, wet blanket.  Seek immediate medical attention for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Sun Poisoning

Not to be confused with heat stroke (which is a medical emergency), sun poisoning is a sunburn that's gone from bad to worse.  If you experience nausea, vomiting, fever and chills following a severe sunburn then you are most likely suffering from sun poisoning.  According to Dr. Andrew Weil, you can help prevent sun poisoning by remaining indoors during peak daylight hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the summer months), wearing protective clothing and using sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15.  However, if you do get sun poisoning, stay out of the sun and try the following to help alleviate the symptoms:

1. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
2. Take a cool bath and pat dry - don’t rub your skin, which can cause further irritation
3. Apply a cold washcloth or ice to areas that are swollen or itching
4. Take an anti-inflammatory pain reliever to help reduce swelling and inflammation
5. Apply aloe to any affected areas, but avoid oils or anything that contains potential irritants such as fragrances and exfoliants
6. Be aware that you should seek immediate medical attention if your temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or if you experience vomiting or extreme pain

Tick Bites

Last week, in our Let's Get Healthy, Mom! series, we discussed the importance of tick checks for your whole family to help prevent Lyme Disease.  For more information about prevention, tick removal and treatments, check out our article Ticked Off by Lyme Disease.

Water Safety

It only takes 18 seconds for a small child to drown.  That’s a scary thought.  The most important thing you can do this summer is watch your children when they are around water.  Never assume that they are okay for “just a second” regardless of their swimming abilities and never get lazy about locking up and covering your pool when you’re finished.  It is important to invest in high quality floatation devices for boating and swimming.  Drowning is a silent killer.  According to Mario Vittone in his article Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning, “Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.”  Please read the link to Vittone’s article.  It could save your loved one’s life.

Is it true that you should avoid the water for 30 minutes after eating?  It depends.  Eating a large meal diverts blood flow primarily to the digestive tract to work on digesting your food.  This can cause you to become weaker much more quickly in a precarious situation.  So, if you have eaten a large meal then, yes, avoid the water for at least half an hour.  If you have only eaten a light meal or snack then your body should be prepared to swim.  NEVER swim or place yourself as the primary adult for swimming children after you've been drinking alcoholic beverages.

Do you know the leading safety concern for beach-goers?  It's rip currents.  Nearly 80% of the rescues on beaches are due to rip currents.  According to NOAA.gov, "As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation cells which are seen as rip currents: narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling offshore."  These currents are so strong that they can drag an Olympic swimmer out to sea and are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers.  It is important to heed flagged danger zones on beaches and any rip current warnings.  The following conditions may (but not always) indicate a rip current has formed:

• a channel of churning, choppy water
• an area having a notable difference in water color
• a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward
• a break in the incoming wave pattern

According to NOAA.gov's Rip Current page, if you find yourself caught in a rip current, do not fight it.  You will simply grow exhausted and drown.  Instead, remain calm to conserve energy.  Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore.  If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.  If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself:  face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.  If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 911 . Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape.  Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

Diving accidents are another serious risk factor in the water.  Do not assume that the water level at a regular family vacation spot has remained the same.  Water levels are constantly changing based on weather conditions so it is important to wade into the water to check the levels before allowing your family to dive or jump into the water.  If there is a diving injury it is important to follow the protocol listed below in the Breaks, Sprains & Strains section for immobilizing an injured person with a potential break until help arrives.  It is imperative to keep the person still to avoid further injury, especially when the injury involves the neck or back.

Swimmer’s Ear

Earaches are for the winter, right?  Not so much.  If your child is complaining of a painfully itchy ear that is red on the outside she probably has swimmer's ear.  This is caused when water becomes trapped in the ear canal and allows bacteria or fungi to grow.   Swimmer’s ear is often abated by using over-the-counter Swimmer's Ear Drops. Keep your child out of the water for several days and if the pain doesn't subside within 24 hours, see a doctor.  To help prevent Swimmer’s Ear, before your kids go swimming, pick up some Mack earplugs (a type that molds to the ear) to block out water.

Breaks, Sprains & Strains

A possible broken bone is often a rite of passage for many kids but it is also a medical emergency.  Depending on the incident, you may not need to call an ambulance but you should seek immediate medical attention if, after an accident, you or your child heard a snap, the site of the injury moves in an unnatural way or is painful to the touch or if the injured person cannot move the limb.   If you suspect a broken bone KidsHealth.org recommends that you follow these steps:

• If the injury involves your child's neck or back, do not move him unless the child is in imminent danger. Movement can cause serious nerve damage. Phone for emergency medical help. If your child must be moved, the neck and back must be completely immobilized first. Keeping your child's head, neck, and back in alignment, move the child as a unit.

• If your child has an open break (bone protrudes through the skin) and there is severe bleeding, apply pressure on the bleeding area with a gauze pad or a clean piece of clothing or other material. Do not wash the wound or try to push back any part of the bone that may be sticking out.

• If your child must be moved, apply splints around the injured limb to prevent further injury. Leave the limb in the position you find it. The splints should be applied in that position. Splints can be made by using boards, brooms, a stack of newspapers, cardboard, or anything firm, and can be padded with pillows, shirts, towels, or anything soft. Splints must be long enough to extend beyond the joints above and below the fracture.

• Place cold packs or a bag of ice wrapped in cloth on the injured area.

• Keep your child lying down until medical help arrives

A sprain happens when a ligament is over-stretched and partially torn.  A strain is simply when the ligament is over-stretched.  While most sprains and strains cause swelling and pain at the site of the injury, they are not considered a medical emergency.  It is important to seek medical attention to ensure that there is no fracture, but once the doctor has assessed the injury as a sprain or a strain, the injury can usually be treated at home with R.I.C.E. – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation:  

• It is important to rest the injury for the first 48 hours by reducing activity and use of the injured area.
• For the first 48 hours post-injury, ice the sprain or strain for 20 minutes at a time (icing for more than 20 minutes can cause damage to your skin) every 3-4 hours. The ice pack can be as simple as a bag of frozen vegetables (peas or corn) which conforms to the injury more easily than ice packs and allows you to re-use the bag.  
• Use compression when elevating a sprain or strain during early treatment. Using an ACE bandage, wrap the area overlapping the elastic wrap by one-half of the width of the wrap. The wrap should be snug, but should not cut off circulation to the extremity.  If your fingers or toes become cold, blue, or tingle, you must re-wrap!
• Keep the injured extremity elevated above the level of the heart.  This allows the blood to flow away from the injury and reduces swelling.
• For pain relief, your doctor may recommend an anti-inflammatory pain reliever such as ibuprofen.  We also recommend gently rubbing arnica cream on the area of the sprain or strain.  There is some evidence that arnica aids in the healing of areas of inflammation.

For printable instructions to help remind you how to deal with breaks or sprains, click on the links below:

Broken Bones
Sprains & Strains

Jellyfish Sting

If you’ve ever watched Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo then you are well aware of the danger from jellyfish stings.  Fortunately, while extremely painful, most jellyfish stings are not deadly to humans.  Before swimming in open marine water, speak to a lifeguard on duty and ask about the water conditions and if anyone has spotted schools of jellyfish.  If, however, you find yourself or your child tangled up with some tentacles, don’t panic. Simply get out of the water as quickly and carefully as you can and begin to scrape away the jellyfish tentacles using the side of a credit card or other blunt-sided, smooth object.  Rinse the area with salt water.  Using fresh water can cause the tiny tentacles to expand and actually sting your child all over again. Ask a lifeguard for vinegar to use on the sting to neutralize the venom remaining in the nematocysts (stingers) and once they have been deactivated, remove them with a pair of tweezers. For pain relief, make a paste of baking soda and meat tenderizer mixed with water, and apply the paste to the wound.  The pain should subside within an hour or two and the rash should disappear within a few days.  If you find that you or your child experiences headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, body aches and pains, fast and shallow breathing and even high blood pressure after an encounter with one of these squishy fellows, seek medical help immediately.

Prevention is always the best cure but sometimes it’s just not possible.  With a little knowledge you’ll be able to keep cool in these situations and get back to doing what you love most…enjoying summer before it slips away.

Kim is a Worship Pastor’s wife and full-time mom to four crazy and beautiful kids. Toss in a part-time job, housework, a blog (http://www.fishbowlliving.com) and what passes for a social life these days and she’s still wondering how she fits 32 hours into a 24 hour day.