Time with friends, cook-outs and trips to the beach. All of these describe a typical summer, but what about danger, pain and injuries? Most people don’t think about the bad parts of summer activities, only the fun.
According to Forbes, normal summer activities cause many injuries every year. Activities like mowing the lawn, setting up camping equipment and even grilling out, along with water activities, send people to the hospital during this time of year.
“I guess the worst thing I’ve had happen in the summer that I can think of would be a few bad falls on my slalom ski,” said Drew Nelson, Vet School student and avid outdoorsman. “One particular fall caused my knee to hit the ski, and I limped for a few days.”
People are also injured during activities such as skateboarding, amusement park rides and target shooting. So what is the best way to avoid summer injuries?
Dr. Shannon Cason of the Auburn University Medical Clinic advises to avoid dangerous activities in the first place. People should wear helmets while skateboarding or biking and prevent sunburns by wearing sun screen. When hiking, avoid poison ivy, and don’t overestimate your abilities when it comes to things like swimming or boating.
“I kicked a branch underwater while swimming at Chewacla, causing a gash in the top of my foot and a good amount of bleeding,” said Amanda Eubanks, president of Auburn’s Outdoor Adventure Club. “I would suggest swimming in the roped off area and that wouldn’t have happened.”
If something goes wrong while participating in a leisure activity this summer, know what to do. If you begin to feel weak or light headed while outside, it may be the first signs of dehydration.
“Drink water, not soft drinks which can dehydrate you more,” Cason said. “It’s not just how much you drink, it’s what you drink, too.”
Going to the pool and tanning or swimming is also popular this time of year. Use sun screen whenever you are in the sun to avoid long-term damage.
“The most common injury I see this time of year is sunburn,” Cason said.
Although “sun poison” is just a term used to describe bad sunburn, its symptoms are very real. Feelings of nausea, fever or infected skin after sunburn are signs of “sun poison.” If you get sunburn, anything moisturizing will decrease the pain, along with a cold compress and aspirin. If you think you have sun poison, seek medical help immediately. In the mean time, run the area under cool water and put ice on it. If there are blisters, do not break them.
“The biggest concern for the college age group is alcohol involved in any summer activities,” Cason said. “It causes people to not pay attention, and that will lead to sunburns and will increase dehydration, so avoid using it.”
If something happens while enjoying the warm weather, call or visit the Medical Clinic immediately. The best advice is to prevent accidents before they happen.
