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: 1.Bulls-eye shaped rash. It can be 5-20 inches in diameter.
It is white in the center and bright red on the outside. 2.Flu-like
symptoms, a feeling of weakness or discomfort. 3.Sore throat,
dry cough, stiff neck, swollen glands, photosensitivity.
Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever: 1.Fever, headache and rash on hands and
feet. 2.Usually appears seven to ten days after the bite. To prevent
tick-related diseases: 1.Wear long -sleeved shirt, pants, shoes.
2.Use insect repellent. 3.Check for ticks, chiggers, etc. every
day. 4.If you spot an insect, gently remove with tweezers. Swab
bite with rubbing alcohol
The American College of Emergency Physicians is a national medical
society representing more than 19,000 physicians who specialize
in emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to improving the quality
of emergency care through continuing education, research, and
public education.
