Vim & Vigor - Summer 2009 - (Page 46)

sa 46 vim & vigor • su mme r 2 009 harb e f don’t let these or photograph (this page) by camaraydave, dreamstime common perils ruin your fun in the sun by shelley fannery 5 When you were a kid, summer represented all that was good in the world: no school, going swimming and playing outside until the streetlights came on. To your mother, though, summer probably conjured up different thoughts entirely: sunburns, scrapes, bug bites and other hair-raising outdoor hazards ready to pounce on the unprepared. These days, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself and your family from such fun-spoiling maladies— which can be serious enough to land a person in the hospital. “Summer is trauma season,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “The breadth of risks is extended outdoors this time of year.” Make sure your summer plans don’t involve a trip to the emergency room by avoiding these five summer bummers. 1 bruises, scrapes and broken bones The more active you are, the more bumps and bruises you’re bound to endure. Often, such injuries are the result of being ill-prepared. How to play it safe Take appropriate precautions, depending on the type of activity. Wear protective gear (a helmet, wrist guards, and elbow and knee pads) when inline skating or skateboarding, and a helmet when bicycling. When boating, wear a lifejacket, obey water laws and abstain from alcohol when operating the vessel. Taking the kids to a playground? “Look for one with well-maintained equipment and nine to 12 inches of soft landing area such as rubber mulch or pea gravel,” Appy recommends. “And it should extend six feet around the equipment.” sunburn It makes it difficult to shower, dress, even move. But sunburn is more than just inconvenient. It represents real damage to the skin—damage that can later lead to skin cancer. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2009

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2009
Healthy Steps
Nurturing Health
Contents
Finally... Relief from Pain
Helping Hearts
Take Action
Check Your Tech
Small Wonders
Positively Healthy
On the Cover
Culinary Cures
In a Heartbeat
Make it Last
Safe Harbor
5 Million Lives
Under the Cyberknife
Around the Region
Ask the Experts
Community Connections

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2009

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