The most dangerous risks to your health this summer — and how to prevent them by Kevin Loria on Jul 27, 2017, 4:03 PM Advertisement
 Ticks and mosquitoes and sunburn, oh my! Summer might be the time when most of us try to take it easy, but there are a few nasty health hazards that can ruin your fun in the sun. We're not talking about things like sharks, which might seem scary but pose almost zero risk to the average person. These are the real hazards that can cause injury, illness, or death. Preventing them can sometimes be as simple as drinking water and wearing sunscreen and insect repellant. So practice caution — your life may depend on it. SEE ALSO: Science says happier people have these 9 things in common Tick bites can give people Lyme disease, red meat allergies, and other illnesses.  This year is particularly bad for ticks, which are spreading and bringing the diseases they carry along with them. Lone Star ticks, originally found in the South, have been expanding their normal range farther north and west. Something in the bites of some of these creatures causes what's known as alpha-gal allergy, which makes people allergic to red meat. Blacklegged or deer ticks, common in the Northeast, South, and Midwest, can carry at least six different diseases. These include the very rare Powassan virus, which can cause permanent neurological damage or death; babesiosis, which damages blood cells and is a problem for the blood supply; and Lyme disease, which infects about 300,000 Americans a year and can cause meningitis or partial paralysis if it's not treated. Experts recommend regular tick checks, wearing long clothes when hiking through the woods, using DEET to protect skin, and treating clothing with permethrin.
Not drinking enough water can make you feel fatigued and increase your risk for kidney stones.  Despite the prevailing assumption, there's no definitive evidence that we need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Depending on what you are doing and what else you consume, you might need more or less. Mild dehydration can be serious, impairing memory and mood, making people feel faint, and causing fatigue and weakness. At more severe levels, dehydration increases the risk of kidney stones and can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. In the summer, you should make sure you drink water whenever you feel thirsty.
Heatstroke can kill.  In a typical year in the US, heat waves kill more people than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, or freezing. When the heat index creeps above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes dangerous for the very young, the very old, and the infirm. This weather is also known for striking down young athletes in their prime. As the body overheats, it can quickly cause damage to the kidneys, muscles, heart, and brain. Physical exertion, alcohol consumption, and dehydration can all make it harder for your body to regulate its temperature. When it's particularly hot out, stay hydrated and try to stay out of the sun.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
| 
0 comments:
Post a Comment