Q. How can families play safely on or near the water?
About 1,600 persons drowned in a recent year while swimming, boating , or playing in the water. As many as half of all drownings occur in the months of June, July, August. Children should always be supervised by an adult. Even adults should swim with a buddy, in case of emergency. Avoid swimming past your ability or in rough water. Life jackets should be worn by all occupants during recreational boating as well as dockside by small children. Inflatable swim toys should never be relied upon for flotation by non-swimmers unless directly supervised. Your entire family should take a CPR course before your vacation.
Q. What can be done about insect bites?
Bring insect repellent, long sleeves and perhaps a head net. Bees are attracted to perfumes, bright colors and food. Highly allergic individuals should keep bee sting injection kits both at home and in the car, replacing them annually. All family members should have current tetanus immunizations. Any person who's been bitten or stung and develops faintness, difficulty breathing, hives all over or has been stung many times should go to an emergency department immediately.
Tick bites can cause Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Both of these diseases must be treated by a physician. Lyme disease, if left untreated, may spread to the heart, brain and nervous system. This could lead to memory loss, muscle weakness, blindness and arthritis.
Symptoms of these illnesses include:
Lyme disease:
- Bulls-eye shaped rash. It can be 5-20 inches in diameter. It is white in the center and bright red on the outside.
- Flu-like symptoms, a feeling of weakness or discomfort.
- Sore throat, dry cough, stiff neck, swollen glands, photosensitivity.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:
- Fever, headache and rash on hands and feet.
- Usually appears seven to ten days after the bite.
To prevent tick-related diseases:
- Wear long -sleeved shirt, pants, shoes.
- Use insect repellent.
- Check for ticks, chiggers, etc. every day.
- If you spot an insect, gently remove with tweezers. Swab bite with rubbing alcohol.