Stay Healthy This Summer

It’s quickly closing in on the end of the school year, which means summer is on its way. Summer is almost everyone’s favorite time of year. School’s out, there’s no homework, and you can sleep until 5 p.m. if you please. The only problem is, you can still get sick. Maybe not with seasonal flu or pneumonia, but with other illnesses that can leave you just as miserable. The following are some, but not all, illnesses you could find yourself dealing with this summer unless you take precaution:

Zika virus: This one’s been all over the news, so you’ve probably heard of it. The strange thing is, it doesn’t have any substantial symptoms. Sure, you could experience vomiting and dizziness and loss of appetite, but many people end up writing that off as a stomach bug. This makes Zika quite dangerous, as its effects can stay with you for up to a decade. If you’re female, the effects can be devastating if you’re looking to have a child. Zika has been found to cause microcephaly in infants, which is when they’re born with abnormally small heads due to inadequate brain growth. According to www.cdc.gov, babies with microcephaly may not experience any side effects from the illness besides having a smaller head, but that depends on the severity of the case.

How to avoid: Zika virus was primarily found in warmer-climate areas, such as Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, and some parts of Africa. However, cases are being found in temperate and colder countries, but not because of mosquito migration. The people infected with it in the aforementioned areas have gotten it from traveling to areas where there are infected mosquitos. To avoid getting infected completely, it’s probably better for you not to go on vacation in the tropics during summertime. However, considering that’s pretty much impossible to prevent, make sure you have bug spray! Females who are thinking about having children or are already pregnant may want to stay away from tropical areas until the virus is under better control.

Meningitis and Encephalitis: These two illnesses deal with inflammation of different parts of the nervous system. Meningitis is the inflammation the the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, while encephalitis is inflammation of the brain itself. Most cases of both are bacterial, but viral, fungal, and parasitic versions of these illnesses also exist. If not treated, meningitis and encephalitis can be fatal, or can leave you with serious brain and/or nerve damage. Symptoms of meningitis include pain in the neck or back, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. Symptoms of encephalitis are similar, but one can experience seizures if a case is particularly severe.

How to avoid: These two illnesses are caused by being in close proximity to a lot of people. Unfortunately, that’s not preventable. In the summer, people are away at camp, they swim in pools, lakes, and water parks, they share locker rooms…it’s quite easy to be exposed to bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Get vaccinated, especially if you’re about to go to college! There are multiple meningitis vaccines, but only one encephalitis vaccine (for Japanese encephalitis). College kids are notorious for contracting these diseases, due to living in dormitories and sharing bathroom space. These really aren’t illnesses you want to contract, so be proactive about keeping your germs to yourself!

West Nile Virus: You may already know that this virus is spread by mosquitos. However, many people don’t know what this illness can do to you. It goes after the nervous system, and can cause many neurological issues, two possibly being meningitis or encephalitis. The less serious effects could include body aches, joint pains, and severe fatigue, which all could last for months.

How to avoid: West Nile is found almost anywhere, and North America is no exception. Wear mosquito repellent, and if you’re outside at night, it may be beneficial to wear long sleeves and pants. If you can’t do either of those things, staying inside and away from mosquitos will keep you safe. Investing in a bug zapper could also help with the problem, as well.

Lyme disease: Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by certain ticks. On the East Coast, it’s spread by deer ticks, and on the West Coast, it’s spread by black-legged ticks. It’s actually not as common in the South, but lone star ticks down there can spread a “mock” illness (called STARI) resembling Lyme disease. The telltale “bull’s-eye” rash could  indicate if you’ve been bitten by an infected tick, but not all people develop a rash. According to www.lymedisease.org, “symptoms of early Lyme disease may present as a flu-like illness (fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and joint pain)”. Lyme disease can also be chronic, and can actually be very debilitating if not taken care of. Some people even deal with heart problems related to the illness.

How to avoid: It turns out that tick spray actually exists! DEET is probably the go-to tick repellent, but it only works on your skin. To keep ticks off of your clothing, try a spray containing PErmethrin. Be wary, though, as spray containing Permethrin should not be used on the skin! Tick spray also exists for your lawn; spraying your lawns could keep your pets from bringing ticks in the house. Make sure your dogs are safe from ticks as well; Lyme disease infects canines like humans.

Hyperthermia: Hyperthermia happens when body temperature goes much above normal. You’ve probably heard of heat stroke, which is when (more often than not), someone falls unconscious if their temperature goes above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (or 40 degrees Celsius). Severe, irreversible organ damage can occur, and can be fatal. So, if you suspect someone is suffering from heat stroke, they need medical attention immediately.

How to avoid: The obvious is to stay as cool as possible. Stay out of direct sunlight, take cooler showers after long heat exposure, etc. Keeping track of your area’s heat index can you you an idea of how much outside exposure would be okay for the day. There are some days in which it would be temperate enough to work out outside, but if the heat index is in the dangerous zone, you may want to keep your exercise indoors inside nice air conditioning. Stay hydrated, and be familiar with the symptoms of heat exhaustion.

Food poisoning: Food poisoning occurs when a person ingests food or liquids contaminated with certain viruses, parasites, bacteria, or toxic chemicals. Some of these contaminants can actually be very dangerous, so be careful! Your body figures out right away that the contaminated foods or liquids are bad for you, so it will begin to expel them immediately. The most common symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea, but fevers and abdominal cramping can also happen. Dehydration may also be an issue, which can be rather serious if you can’t keep anything down. There usually aren’t any lasting effects, but is the symptoms last for a longer period of time than normal, you may actually have gastroenteritis (an infection of the intestinal tract) instead of food poisoning.

How to avoid: Make sure your food is cooked thoroughly! Meat, dairy, and eggs are usually the foods you have to watch out for the most. Don’t eat anything spoiled, and if you’re not sure your seafood is fresh, don’t eat it. Shellfish food poisoning is quite common. Don’t leave your food to roast out in the sunlight, either, especially if it must be refrigerated. Drinking unpasteurized liquids could also put you at great risk of getting sick. To put it simply, make sure your hands are clean, and your food, too!
Yes, spring has just started, but with spring comes the rebirth of nasty bugs and organisms itching to terrorize us humans. Most of these bugs and bacteria will be around in the summer, too. In saying so, do not let any of this information deter you from spending your summer free as you please, instead, use it and keep it on your mind to make sure your summer is safe and enjoyable, and away from the hospital!