Taking the heat off

How to defend yourself against summer's hazards

Sandra Fish, Special to the Rocky

Published May 22, 2007 at midnight

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Ah, the joys of summer - days by the pool, hikes in the mountains, biking, boating and barbecues. But what about the aftermath of all that fun in the summer sun? From sunburn and heatstroke to West Nile and bee stings, summer can be a hazardous time of year.

Then there are the nagging - and often severe - intestinal hazards of summer, including the giardiasis parasite and food-borne diseases.

"Giardia is definitely more frequent in the summer months," says Alicia Cronquist, food-borne-disease epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "All of the food-borne diseases that we monitor go up during the summer."

You can take precautions, however, to prevent food-borne diseases, insect- transmitted infections and hazards of the hot sun to make your summer safe and healthy. Here's a look at how:

Elevation

• The danger: Elevation sickness can pack a punch even in summer, from headaches and dizziness to nausea.

• Prevention & treatment: Drink plenty of water when recreating above 10,000 feet, and avoid alcohol. Eat smaller, high-carb meals while limiting fat and protein intake. If symptoms persist, descend to a lower elevation and/or seek medical help.

Bee stings

• The danger: For those who are allergic, a sting is potentially fatal. Symptoms include swelling (even in an area outside the sting), rashes, difficult breathing and shock.

• Prevention & treatment: Wear light-colored clothing and avoid scented soaps or perfumes to keep bees away. If you're stung, scrape the stinger off with a credit card or fingernail. Don't use tweezers; that can push the stinger into the skin, releasing more venom. If signs of allergic reaction appear, get to a doctor. If you know you or your child are allergic, carry an "epi-pen," a dose of epinephrine to battle the allergy.

Giardia

• The danger: More than 500 cases were reported in Colorado in 2005. Parasites typically found in water infect the intestinal tract, resulting in diarrhea.

• Prevention & treatment: If they say, "Don't drink the water," they mean it. If you're traveling to another country, be cautious about the water. If you're camping or backpacking in the mountains, boil, filter or treat water before using it, or bring your own water.

Poisonous plants

• The danger: There's a climb in the Boulder Flatirons that's called Halls of Ivy, and there's a reason for that. A rashy outbreak can be caused by touching poison ivy, oak, sumac or clothing or other items (such as climbing rope) that have touched the plants.

• Prevention & treatment: Your best defense is to learn to recognize poisonous plants and avoid them. Some creams on the market will shield you from poison ivy. If you don't succeed in avoiding it, wash your skin with cool water as soon as possible. Oatmeal baths or calamine lotion may help. For severe rashes, consider over-the-counter treatments to ease the pain.

Sunburn

It isn't just the pain and the peeling that pose problems. There's potential for skin cancer in the long run, and sun-damaged skin doesn't look so great as the years go by.

"It makes us feel good, but it doesn't make you look good," says Dr. Robert Dellavalle, chief of dermatology at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

We talked with Dellavalle about how to shield against the suns rays:

Question: What's the best way to prevent sun damage?

Answer: Try not to schedule outdoor activities in the middle of the day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you must go outdoors, Dellavalle says, cover up with long-sleeve, light-colored shirts and pants.

Q: What about sunscreen?

A: They should think of it like paint. You have to paint your skin. You really have to put two coats on. Make sure you cover every exposed bit of skin, including your back and the tops of your feet.

Q: What about the spray-on sunscreens?

A: They're good for kids because kids won't let you put two coats of paint on them, but they will let you spray-paint them. There's also foam, which is really nice.

Q: What about the SPF rating?

A: It's better to use higher, like SPF 30 or 50. If it gets really high it starts to feel like toothpaste, and people really don't like putting that on.

Q: How often should you put it on?

A: Two coats before you go out. If you go swimming, you get wet, you'll want to reapply. If you're sweating, you'll want to reapply. Reapply it every two hours.

Dry skin

• The danger: Summer sun and Colorado's dry air can combine to decimate your skin.

• Prevention & treatment: Moisturize in the morning after showering, when your skin is still damp. Use a moisturizer that includes vitamins A, D and E, which help the skin retain moisture.

Food-borne diseases

• The danger: Salmonella and campylobacter are similar diseases whose incidence increases in the summer, with about 1,200 cases reported in Colorado in 2005. Symptoms include abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea and fever. These diseases typically result from eating undercooked food or coming into contact with uncooked food or animals carrying the bacteria.

• Prevention & treatment: Wash hands before eating and after handling uncooked meat. Use a meat thermometer to test food for doneness. Wash produce, and wash hands after coming into contact with animals. When camping or picnicking, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, bring moist wipes to clean your hands and don't leave food out longer than two hours.

Heatstroke

• The danger: When your body overheats, your cooling system shuts down. Thirst, fatigue and stomach and leg cramps are the initial symptoms, followed by nausea, rapid heartbeat and high temperatures.

• Prevention & treatment: Exercise outside in the early mornings or evenings when it's cool, drink lots of water and wear light, loose clothing. If you or a family member overdoes it, lie down in a cool place, elevate your legs, apply wet towels to cool down and seek medical attention.

Tick-borne diseases

• The danger: Cases of tick- borne disease are relatively minimal in Colorado, according to the state health department. From 2002 to 2005, there were 13 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and only one case of Lyme disease. Colorado tick fever hasn't been a reportable disease since 1997, after a sharp decline in the disease in the 1980s.

• Prevention & treatment: To repel ticks, use a repellent with DEET and wear plenty of clothing in the late spring and early summer, when ticks are most active. If that fails, follow country singer Brad Paisley's advice: "Find a friend and let them check you for ticks." (If you find one, use tweezers, grab as close to the skin as possible and pull straight away - you want to remove the entire bug.)

West Nile virus

• The danger: Seven Coloradans died from West Nile in 2006, when there were 345 cases of the disease. That's down considerably from almost 3,000 cases and 63 deaths in 2003. Still, the mosquito-borne virus will be present again this summer. Symptoms range from a few days of fever and headaches to a high fever, stiff neck and tremors.

• Prevention & treatment: The best way to avoid West Nile is to stay inside at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. If you must be outside, wear long sleeves and pants, and apply bug repellent with DEET. Also, empty areas of standing water, where mosquitoes can breed.

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