Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See All Health Conditions A-Z

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See All News

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet is not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See All Beauty

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Mind & Body Chevron Right
  3. Beat the Top Summer Health Hazards

Beat the Top Summer Health Hazards

By Tula Karras
June 11, 2012
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Istockphoto
Our stay-safe guide will help you keep sprains, stings, and other outdoor dangers from spoiling your warm-weather fun
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Our stay-safe guide

Credit: Istockphoto

Even though you haven’t had summers off since you were in school, the sunshine and warm breeze can still set off that can’t-stay-indoors-another-second feeling. But before you race outside, make sure you’re ready for everything the season can throw at you. That means more than just slathering on sunscreen: the last thing you want is to have to sit out with a sprained ankle, a case of food poisoning, or raging poison ivy.

Follow our warm-weather guide and you won’t miss a single opportunity for outdoor action.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Follow the 10 percent rule

Credit: Istockphoto

Yes, you want to be in shape for bikini season, but getting too gung ho about exercising all at once can lead to overuse injuries.

Instead, ramp up slowly: increase your activity level by 10 percent every week. “And don’t be a weekend warrior,” says Nancy Yen Shipley, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Richmond, Virginia, and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. It’s better to do 20 minutes of outdoor activity each day than to cram in a three-hour session on the weekend.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Walk before you run

Credit: Istockphoto

Don’t jog a path that you haven’t walked first—unfamiliar terrain is a common cause of slips and sprains, Dr. Yen Shipley says.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Practice safe gardening

Credit: Istockphoto

With all that lifting, twisting, and bending, gardening can be surprisingly strenuous. Use your legs when you squat, and choose long-handled tools so you won’t have to stoop over as much. When doing a repetitive task, like raking, switch sides often so you don’t overuse the muscles on one side of your body.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Chill out

Credit: Istockphoto

Heat rash, which results when sweat ducts become blocked, usually appears as tiny bumps in folds of skin or where fabric chafes against the body.

To prevent it, choose breathable cotton clothing, avoid heavy ointments and creams (they can block sweat ducts), and choose oil-free sunscreens. Stay dry, too, because moisture can worsen the condition. If you develop a rash, get out of the heat, apply cold compresses, and use an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to quell itching.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Learn your leaves

Credit: Istockphoto

Poison ivy, sumac, and oak aren’t just woodland hazards: the hardy creepers can also pop up at the beach, in your backyard, and in parks. If you don’t know what they look like, check out photos here.

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Scrub it off, stat

Credit: Istockphoto

If you think you’ve brushed up against a problem plant, wash immediately with soap and water. (Garden tools or clothing can also harbor the plant’s irritating oils, so watch what you touch and clean up if you suspect an object you’ve come in contact with may be contaminated.)

If the oil is absorbed into your skin, a rash usually shows up within a day or two, says Jackie Eghrari-Sabet, MD, an allergist in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). Hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion, diphenhydramine cream (like Benadryl), and oral antihistamines can all help ease itching and swelling, but it will take about a week for symptoms to go away.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Keep it clean

Credit: Istockphoto

A picnic table littered with sugary drinks is like a standing invitation to bees and wasps. “A classic case of getting stung involves someone leaving a soda can out, a bee flies into the can, the person raises it to their lips and...pow!” Dr. Eghrari-Sabet says.

Standing water is a no-no, too. Mosquitoes use water as a breeding ground, so keep buckets and wading pools empty when not in use. And at least once a week, check and empty flowerpots, birdbaths, and anywhere else water can collect around your yard.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Make yourself unappetizing

Credit: Istockphoto

Bright colors are the equivalent of a sexy teddy for stingers. Instead, dress in light colors and pastels; lighter colors also make it easier to spot ticks. Skip perfumed products—if it smells good to you, it’s alluring for bees, as well.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Spray away

Credit: Istockphoto

If you’re going to be outdoors for an extended time, or if mosquitoes and ticks are common where you live, spray clothing (but not skin) with the repellent permethrin, found in brands such as Sawyer.

For shorter stints outdoors, skin-safe bug repellents with picaridin or DEET (such as

Off!) are also effective—the higher the concentration, the longer they’ll work. If you prefer a repellent made from natural ingredients, consider those that contain oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 (the ingredient in several of Avon’s Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard products), which are generally as effective against mosquitoes as a low-concentration DEET product.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Bitten? Act fast

Credit: Istockphoto

Start by reaching for some ice. “Ice is an anti-inflammatory, so it keeps the swelling and itching to a minimum,” says Bruce Robinson, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and a clinical instructor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. An over-the-counter antihistamine can help tame swelling and itching around the bite or sting site, but if you develop hives or itching all over, facial swelling, or trouble breathing, call 911—you may be having a severe allergic reaction.

If you develop a fever and aches, which can be signs of a West Nile virus infection (transmitted by mosquitoes) or Lyme disease (transmitted by ticks), see your doc; ditto if you see the hallmark “bull’s-eye” rash of Lyme.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Cool it

Credit: Istockphoto

To prevent foodborne bacteria from paying a visit to your picnic, keep eats as cold as possible during transport—40 degrees or colder. A full cooler stays colder longer than a partially filled one, so pack food straight from the fridge and pour on ice to the brim.

You’ll know your cooler is keeping food cold enough if your ice or gel packs are still frozen when you get to your picnic spot. Once you set up your spread, leave food out for no more than two hours—no more than an hour if it’s 90 degrees or hotter out.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Marinate smarter

Credit: Istockphoto

Marinate meat and fish in the fridge, not at room temperature. And never use marinade that’s touched raw meat or fish as a sauce for cooked food.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Check your temps

Credit: Istockphoto

Cook meat fully to kill common foodborne bacteria like salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli. Stick a meat thermometer in the center of the meat, and don’t serve it until it hits 160 degrees for ground beef or steak cooked medium, 145 degrees for steak cooked medium-rare, or 165 degrees for poultry.

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Got Asthma? The best way to breathe easier

Credit: Istockphoto

Hot, sunny weather can be bad news if you have asthma, which is 40 percent more common in women than in men. The reason summer is an asthma bummer is air quality. When the sun’s rays meet air pollutants, the result is a combination of ground-level ozone and other pollutants, also known as smog. Smog can inflame airways and cause wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath, especially in asthmatics, whose airways are hypersensitive.

If you’ve got asthma, check local

air-quality conditions and stay inside on code orange days, whenever possible.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Tula Karras

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 15 Our stay-safe guide
2 of 15 Follow the 10 percent rule
3 of 15 Walk before you run
4 of 15 Practice safe gardening
5 of 15 Chill out
6 of 15 Learn your leaves
7 of 15 Scrub it off, stat
8 of 15 Keep it clean
9 of 15 Make yourself unappetizing
10 of 15 Spray away
11 of 15 Bitten? Act fast
12 of 15 Cool it
13 of 15 Marinate smarter
14 of 15 Check your temps
15 of 15 Got Asthma? The best way to breathe easier

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

Beat the Top Summer Health Hazards
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.