Everyone's Health

Hints for Surviving Summer

ACNE BREAKOUTS

Prevention: Summer breakouts can be caused by excess oil, grime and pores clogged by sweat. Breakouts on the body are often caused by wearing sweaty sports bras or other tight or synthetic clothing. Rinse off after you work out and try to wear loose-fitting clothes. Use only clean washcloths on your face, and if you use a puff or a sponge in the shower, replace it every two or three weeks because they hold bacteria.

“The sun and some sunscreens can cause some irritation and then lead to breakouts,” says Dr. Julie Chuan, an Escondido family practitioner. “People need to be vigilant about keeping on top of their skin-cleaning ritual.”

Cure: Wash your body with a salicylic acid cleanser. Use a 10 percent benzoyl peroxide cream twice a day to dry up existing breakouts and prevent new ones.

BEE/WASP STINGS

Prevention: To keep bees away, wear light-colored clothing and avoid scented soaps and perfume. When eating outdoors, keep food covered, especially fruit and soft drinks. Should a bee or wasp fly near you, slowly raise your arms to protect your face and stand still or move slowly to escape. Don't run.

Cure: If the stinger is still in, scrape it out with a credit card or a clean fingernail and then wash with soap and water. Don't pull it out because it could release more venom. Ice or a cold compress and ibuprofen or aspirin can help the pain.

If you know you are allergic to bee stings, carry a self-injectable epinephrine device (by prescription) for immediate treatment. If you have severe reactions – swelling, breathing difficulties, severe drop in blood pressure or shock – see a doctor immediately or call 911.

BLISTERS

Prevention: Severe sunburn can cause them, but often the culprit is new shoes. Especially if they're worn on bare, perspiring feet. Try attaching a small piece of moleskin to the areas of your feet that rub most against the shoe – the heel, big and little toes.

Cure: Dr. David Bazzo, associate clinical professor of family medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, suggests cleaning off the area with an alcohol swab and then pricking the blister with a sterile needle to remove the fluid. Leave the skin on top of the deflated blister to act as a natural covering, and then put a blister bandage (available in drugstores, they have more padding than regular bandage strips) over it to prevent further friction.

“Once you break a blister, the risk for infection increases. So be sure to clean it well and use an antibiotic ointment,” he says.

BODY ODOR/EXCESSIVE PERSPIRATION

Prevention: Apply antiperspirant to sweaty areas, including underarms, hands and feet before bed. It will be absorbed overnight and should help eliminate excess sweat the next day. Sprinkling powder on your feet and in your shoes adds another layer of protection. Frequent showers may help.

Cure: Carry a cotton handkerchief or baby washcloth to discreetly wipe off sweaty hands in a pinch. If you think you suffer from hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating caused by overactive sweat glands), see a dermatologist for a prescription antiperspirant or Botox injections, which can be used to paralyze nerves that normally stimulate sweat glands. Shower frequently and make sure clothes are clean.

HEAT EXHAUSTION

Prevention: Heat exhaustion occurs when the body's cooling system shuts down and you lose the ability to sweat. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol when playing or working in the heat. Wear a hat and lightweight, light-colored, loose clothing. Avoid strenuous exercise for extended periods, especially on hot, humid days. People over 65 and young children are especially vulnerable to heat illness.

“Drink a cup of water every 20 minutes, even if you're in the pool or ocean. You're still dehydrating,” Chuan says.

Cure: If you feel dizzy or sick, get out of the sun and wet your face and neck with tepid water. Lie down in a cool place, elevate your legs and fan yourself. Drink cool water. Get medical attention if symptoms persist.

“Getting the body wet is a nice way to draw heat off the body because the core temperature has increased,” Bazzo says. “Take towels that have soaked in an ice bucket and put them around the neck, at the groin and armpits.”

HEAT RASH

Prevention: Also known as prickly heat, the tiny red bumps occur when sweat becomes trapped under the skin. Use an exfoliant or washcloth a couple of times a week in the shower to slough off dead skin cells, and try to stay cool and dry.

Cure: Apply a cool camphor/menthol lotion or a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. You can also take a lukewarm oatmeal bath (oatmeal bath packets are available in drugstores) to ease itching. With treatment, the bumps should disappear in two or three days.

MOSQUITO BITES

Prevention: Wear repellents containing the compound DEET, especially in the early morning and late evening when insects are out. (In heavily wooded or insect-infested areas, Chuan recommends the strongest 30 percent DEET repellent). Wear light clothing that covers most of the body. Avoid fragrances in soaps and shampoos. West Nile virus can be transmitted by infected mosquitoes. While producing just mild flu-like symptoms in healthy people, it can be serious for older people or for anyone with compromised immune systems.

Cure: Ice, cortisone cream or calamine lotion help stop the itching. Ibuprofen, naproxen or an antihistamine such as Benadryl can reduce redness, pain, itching, swelling and fever.

“Don't scratch, because you'll make it worse. The bite is an inflammatory response and the more you scratch it, the more histamines you will get, and the worse the swelling,” Bazzo says.

POISON OAK OR IVY

Prevention: Rashes from poison ivy, oak or sumac are all caused by urushiol, a substance in the sap of the plant. Wear long pants and high socks on hikes. Avoid the vines around trees and fences. Don't touch any plant that grows with clusters of three leaves. If you realize you've touched a poisonous plant, you can still prevent an outbreak by immediately washing your skin. If you know you may have a hard time avoiding poison oak or ivy, consider an FDA-approved over-the-counter product called Ivy Block (EnviroDerm Pharmaceuticals), which forms a protective claylike coating on the skin.

Cure: Wash your skin with hot, soapy water to remove the plant's oily resin. Apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream. Take an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl. Don't scratch, or you'll spread the rash.

SNAKE BITES

Prevention: Be cautious when hiking in canyons or tipping over rocks where snakes may lurk. Many snake bites are from non-venomous snakes, but to be safe, assume that the snake is poisonous.

Cure: The only tool you really need to treat a snakebite is car keys. If you're bitten, get medical attention as soon as possible. In the meantime, don't eat anything, drink any alcohol or take any prescription medication, because all could interfere with treatment. Also, don't put ice or any other type of cooling on the bite, and forget a tourniquet. It cuts blood flow completely and may result in loss of the affected limb.

SUNBURN

Prevention: The American Cancer Society reminds us to slip, slop, slap and slide; slip on a shirt, slop on some sunblock, slap on a hat, and slide on a pair of sunglasses.

Avoid outdoor activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Apply sunscreen with a minimum sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 at least 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply after swimming.

Cure: Take aspirin or ibuprofen to treat pain and reduce inflammation. Apply cold compresses or soak in cool water. Apply aloe vera.

“If you start to peel, don't pick at it,” Chuan says. “When you pull off the skin before it's ready, you risk scarring and infection. Your body will naturally slough it off.”

TICKS

Prevention: Use an insect repellent with DEET. When hiking in wooded areas, wear a long-sleeved shirt tucked into pants tucked into socks. Stay on paths away from tall grass. Make regular tick inspections. (Ticks are about the size of a pinhead). After a hike, wash all clothing immediately to kill any ticks that you might have missed. The disease threat from tick bites is Lyme disease, which can produce a rash along with muscle aches and joint stiffness.

Cure: Remove ticks by grabbing as close to the skin as possible with tweezers and pull. Do not twist. Do not use alcohol, matches or Vaseline to encourage the tick to let go. If parts of the tick remain in the skin, contact your physician to have them removed. If you contract Lyme disease, oral and intravenous antibiotics are available.

“You won't know you have a tick embedded in your skin unless you see it. You won't feel it,” Bazzo says, noting that it's a good idea to have someone carefully check out your naked body after a hike to make sure no ticks are clinging. “Ticks have to be in your skin for at least 24 hours before you get Lyme disease. So, it's important to remove ticks as soon as possible.”

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