Prevent summer health concerns and keep your summer cool

With all the sunny days, vacations, and celebrations, summer may be the most fun season, but it can come along with increased health risks. Get to know these health concerns and how to prevent them, so you can keep your summer enjoyable.

1. Heat stroke
If the temperature is over 100 degrees outside, beware of heat stroke. Extreme heat exposure can cause the body’s core temperature to rise rapidly and becomes unable to cool itself down. Symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, shortness of breath, inability to sweat, a quick pulse, and loss of consciousness.

2. Food poisoning
There's nothing like a nice summer picnic—except when bacteria joins the party. Avoid food poisoning by making sure open food doesn’t stay too warm for too long. Keep perishables in a cooler with ice. Keep food poisoning from ruining your weekend.

3. Swimmer’s ear
Swimming can sometimes lead to an outer ear canal infection. Water remains in the ear and increases the growth of bacteria. Do not put cotton swabs or other objects into your ear. Instead, prevent water from getting stuck in your ear canals by tilting your head into a towel after swimming, and gently pulling your ear lobe to let the water drain out.

4. Bug bites
Bug bites are usually annoying, but they can be more than just an inconvenience. Insects can carry infectious diseases like West Nile or Lyme Disease. Protect yourself by wearing loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants. Use a good insect repellent, but remember: for children, spray onto your hands then apply to their faces.

5. Fireworks injuries
Fireworks cause over 10,000 ER visits each year. It's best to leave the fireworks to the professionals. If you do choose to do them in your yard, remember to always keep children at a safe distance.