How To Prevent Summer Hazards

“Thank God, it will soon be summer”, a patient recently exclaimed to me. I agreed, but I know as sure as night follows day that many people this summer will do dumb things.

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Dr. David Janda, director of The Institute for Preventive Sports Medicine, Ann Arbour, Michigan, recently addressed the 37th annual Sport Medicine Symposium in Toronto. He told delegates that injuries kill over 142,000 North Americans each year and 62 million require medical attention. Death may be better than some injuries. Janda reported that every summer in Michigan 60 people are paralyzed from diving into a shallow lake. They forget the golden rule when plunging into unknown waters, “First time, feet first”. One moment they’re mobile, a split second later, they’re unable to move any limb for the rest of their lives. Women especially must take care not to fall victim to an unusual injury. Travelling on water skis is fun. But if they suddenly lose their balance at high speeds, the impact of water is like striking a brick wall. And if legs are splayed, the sudden force of water can slam into the vagina. Some women only receive an unplanned vaginal #. But others are reported to have gone into shock due to loss of blood from a severe vaginal tear. Both sexes can suffer from a water skiing enema that results in rectal tears. The only solution is to wear reinforced skiing pants. This summer half the skiers injured will have struck another boat. Around 12 percent will have hit fixed objects such as docks, pilings or the shore. Others will have rammed a floating object or will sustain a severe injury from their own propeller. Shriners Hospitals report that every year 275,000 people are treated in emergency departments due to lawn mower and garden tool accidents. 35,000 of these will be children under 15 years of age who lose hands, legs or their lives. All because parents allow young children to operate power mowers. Don’t forget this iron-clad rule. Never use hands to unclog power blades. Even if the motor is turned off the blade remains engaged. The only safe approach is to remove the spark plug before examining the blade. And eye injuries will occur when a rotating blade fires a rock at 100 miles an hour. The force can be three times the muzzle velocity of a 357 magnum gun. It’s mind-boggling that every year 1,400 children drown in wading pools! This could not happen if parents were watching every minute of the time. Eyes will be lost playing tennis when a ball strikes at high speeds. Don’t believe that plastic lenses with hardened glass or an open eye guard are adequate. The only good protection is a closed eye guard. Annoying infections are more prevalent in the summer. Yeast thrives in dark, warm and moist areas such as the snug crotch of a bathing suit causing intense itching. If this happens vaginal creams such as Monistat and Canesten are effective remedies. Sweaty shoes or going barefoot are a good recipe for athlete’s foot. If this happens creams such as Tinactin will cure this problem in a couple of weeks. This summer 45 million North Americans who suffer from cold sores (Herpes Simplex) will have embarrassing and annoying outbreaks from too much exposure to the sun. Prescription drugs such as Zovirax and Valtrex may shorten the duration, but are expensive and can have side effects. A non-prescription product, the interceptCS Cold Sore Prevention System, is a unique way to treat these recurrences. This portable device delivers heat to the affected area and stops cold sores from appearing by destroying viral infected cells. For best results the interceptCS must be applied to the tingling, burning and itching area before the sore appears. But few people are aware of this innovative device. Remember that sunshine helps to build up vitamin D. But too much causes burns which may set up malignant skin lesions later in life. So protect yourself with a sun screen with a high SPF. Good old-fashioned horse sense could save a ton of summer trouble.