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Ah, the joys of summer. Taking family vacations. Sipping poolside coolers. Hiking the great outdoors. Fighting jet lag. Searching for ticks. Even when the living is easy, protecting the health and safety of those you care about may not be. If you're like most people, the myths from summers past are swimming in your head. Must you wait an hour after eating before you dive into the deep end? Can you catch your husband's poison ivy? Does "don't drink the water" still apply for foreign travel? Now is the time to separate fact from fiction. See how you fare with this summer safety sampler. True or False? OUTDOORS 1. I should wait one hour after eating before I go swimming. 2. Poison ivy is contagious. 3. Mayonnaise is the most dangerous ingredient in picnic food. 4. Before grilling ground beef or chicken, I should sniff to check for contamination with E. coli or salmonella. 5. Touching contaminated meat cannot infect me with E. coli or salmonella. PESTS 6. If I'm bitten by a Lyme disease-carrying deer tick, I'll probably know it. 7. If I'm bitten by an infected tick, I probably won't develop Lyme disease. 8. A quick twisting motion between the fingers is the best way to remove a tick. TRAVEL 9. I can fight jet lag with sunlight and melatonin. 10. A few alcoholic drinks during the flight can prevent jet lag. 11. "Don't drink the water" is good advice for foreign travelers. 12. Taking antibiotics before foreign travel is a good way to prevent "traveler's diarrhea." 13. Every traveler should inquire about vaccinations before traveling outside the United States and Canada. SUN 14. I should put sunscreen on as soon as I go outdoors or arrive at the pool or beach. 15. I need sunscreen on a cloudy day. 16. If I'm not turning pink, I'm not burning. 17. Sunburns in childhood are a risk factor for skin cancer in adulthood. 18. I can get a sunburn even after applying sunscreen. 19. Sunscreen allows only safe ultraviolet rays to penetrate the skin for a healthy tan without sunburn. 20. Sunglasses cause the pupils to dilate, allowing the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays to damage the eyes. 21. Not all sunglasses block the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. 22. Clear lenses cannot protect the eyes from sunlight. HEAT 23. Fainting is a sign of heat stroke. 24. Drinking liquids during or after heat exposure is a good way to stay cool. 25. I should consume a sports drink, rather than water, after an hour of vigorous outdoor activity. 26. If my body needs water, I'll know it. 27. People who remove their shirts during intense outdoor work stay cooler longer. 28. A 100% cotton shirt is the best choice for outdoor activities in the heat of summer. Weekend Warrior Which of these summertime adventures are riskiest? Rank on a scale of 1 to 10: __ Bungi jumping
1. FALSE. You need not wait before taking a dip. But alcohol is another story. It takes a full hour for your body to absorb the alcohol from one beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink. So take a snooze or walk along the shore while your system does its thing. Otherwise, alcohol can affect your coordination, making you less able to deal with the risks inherent in water activity: negotiating the undertow or riptide, diving properly, and assisting other swimmers in trouble. 2. FALSE. The "poison" in question is the plant's volatile oil, which gets on your hands when you touch its leaves and stems. If you use soap and water to thoroughly wash the oil off your skin, you will not be contagious, and no one will get poison ivy from touching you. Learning to recognize poison ivy's three-leaf structure and poison oak's five-leaf configuration are the best protection. (Though even the wintertime stems and burning fumes from these plants can affect you.) Covering up with long sleeves and pants is also helpful. But beware--plant oil that brushes your clothes can infect you later. So can plant oil on your dog's coat. 3. FALSE. Mayonnaise contains lemon and vinegar, which retard bacteria growth, making it a less hazardous picnic ingredient. It's other foods, including those mixed with mayonnaise, that spoil and cause food poisoning if kept at the wrong temperature. The rule: Keep cold foods cold, and hot foods hot. Never eat hot or cold foods that have been stored for more than two hours at a temperature of between 40 and 140 degrees. 4. FALSE. Contaminated meat does not have a bad odor. The only way to protect yourself from these and other bacteria is to cook meats thoroughly. Ground beef is especially risky because it has so many exposed surfaces. At home or in restaurants, always order your burger well-done--and double-check that the meat is gray or brown inside, with clear or yellow juices (not red). Chicken, too, should be thoroughly cooked with clear-running juices, not pink inside. 5. TRUE. These bacteria can only infect you if you ingest them. But that's easy to do, particularly if you touch other foods or touch your mouth after touching the meat. To be safe, use a clean platter when taking meats from the grill. Marinate meats in the refrigerator, and do not reuse marinade as a sauce without boiling it. Maintain a clean cooking area (including sink, countertops, cutting board, cookware, and grill) and wash hands with soap and water after handling raw meat. 6. FALSE. Though some ticks are large enough to see and feel, the young deer tick, which causes Lyme disease, is only about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Unless you check your entire body carefully, you could play host to a blood-sucking deer tick for several days without even knowing it. Telltale signs such as a red bump or "bull's-eye" rash surrounding the bite don't always appear. Neither do the much publicized flu-like symptoms--fatigue, headache, chills and fever, and painful joints. 7. TRUE. The risk of infection is slight, especially if you remove the tick within 24 hours. In 1992, a Yale study reported this risk at 1 percent. To be safe, check yourself and your clothing thoroughly after spending time in woods or grass, and immerse even unattached ticks in alcohol to destroy them. 8. FALSE. Ticks carry several diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease. Never touch a tick with your bare hands; instead, use tweezers or at least a tissue. To do so: Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible. Then, with a slow, steady pull, remove the tick. Do not twist, or you may end up leaving the head embedded inside. Dispose of the tick by immersing it in alcohol. Swab the bite with alcohol. The sooner you remove a tick, the better: Your risk is lowest if you find the tick within 24 hours of exposure. Watch for symptoms of illness (fatigue, headache, chills and fever, and painful joints) and seek medical help if they appear. 9. TRUE. Sunlight and melatonin both can help reset your body's internal "clock." Each time zone requires a day of adjustment. If you travel more than three time zones, that adds up to several days of discomfort. If you travel west, and set your watch back upon arrival, get some sun at the end of the day. If you travel east, and set your watch ahead upon arrival, spend time in the sun in the early morning hours. Experts recommend a preventive dose of synthetic (not bovine) melatonin: While en route, set your watch for your destination time, then take melatonin when your watch displays your normal bedtime. 10. FALSE. Alcohol in-flight cannot fight jet lag. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect that contributes to jet lag discomfort--fatigue, irritability, trouble concentrating, and digestive upset. Caffeine could do the same. Instead, drink water or fruit juice. 11. TRUE. Any change in locale--especially to foreign countries--can result in "traveler's diarrhea." It's caused by consuming unboiled tap water as a beverage, in ice cubes, or even while brushing teeth. Instead, keep bottled water on hand for drinking and dental hygiene. And avoid eating uncooked vegetables and unpeeled fruits. Traveler's diarrhea is unpleasant, but usually not serious, as long as you replace lost fluids to prevent dehydration. Carry an over-the-counter antidiarrheal just in case. If you don't start to improve in 48 hours or fever lasts 24 hours, get medical help. 12. FALSE. Experts advise against taking antibiotics "just in case." Apart from potential side effects, these medicines may lead to culinary risk-taking that could still result in illness. True, up to 80% of cases are caused by bacteria such as E. coli, which antibiotics can kill, but the rest result from viruses and parasites. A better bet is to consult your health professional before traveling. He or she may arm you with a prescription and instructions on when to begin treatment. 13. TRUE. For information on current recommendations, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Travelers Hotline: (404) 332-4559. 14. FALSE. Put sunscreen on about 30 minutes before going out, and remember to reapply after swimming or sweating. Your skin needs time to absorb the active ingredients. 15. TRUE. Sunburns result from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are strong enough to get through cloud cover. It's best to use sunscreen whenever you're outdoors longer than a few minutes, year-round. 16. FALSE. A sunburn may not become evident until 6 to 24 hours after sun exposure. Don't wait to "see if you'll burn." Apply sunscreen a half-hour before going out. 17. TRUE. Early skin damage has long-term effects such as damaging the connective tissue, which leads to premature aging and wrinkles, and skin cancers. Protect all light-skinned children using sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. 18. TRUE. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) indicates how much longer than normal you can stay in the sun without burning. If Bill, who is fair-skinned, usually burns after 10 minutes of sun, he can use an SPF 4 to stay out for 40 minutes before burning; to prevent a burn, Bill would want to choose a higher SPF, such as 15, that would allow him to stay out for 150 minutes (SPF 15 x 10 minutes) before burning. An SPF of 4 might be fine for Linda, who normally burns after 60 minutes of sun: SPF 4 x 60 minutes would give her 240 minutes before burning. To play it safe, apply a high-SPF sunscreen thoroughly and reapply after swimming or sweating. Staying out of the sun during peak hours--10 a.m. to 2 p.m.--is also a good idea. 19. FALSE. Sunscreen does screen out UVB rays, which cause squamous and basal cell carcinoma, common but usually treatable skin cancers. But most allow UVA rays to get through. Until recently, researchers believed UVA rays to be harmless. But they now conclude that UVA rays are also dangerous--perhaps even more so because they appear to be associated with melanoma, a sometimes fatal form of skin cancer. If you must go out in the sun, use sunscreen, wear a hat, and protect your eyes with UV-screening sunglasses. And avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 20. FALSE. Sunglasses are important protection against UV rays. Over time, the sun can damage the lens, retina, and cornea, increasing the risk of cataracts 21. TRUE. Glasses must be treated with certain chemicals to block 100 percent of UV rays. Though not required to label treated glasses, most manufacturers label treated glasses as a purchase incentive. Glasses that do not boast UV protection may not offer any. Untreated, tinted glasses block visible light, but not UV rays. 22. FALSE. Clear lenses can be treated to block UV rays. 23. FALSE. A person who revives in two to five minutes probably has heat exhaustion, characterized by thirst, weakness, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Heat stroke causes difficulty walking, incoherence, seizures, and unconsciousness. Unlike heat exhaustion, heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency, so call 911 immediately. 24. TRUE. Replacing fluids lost through sweating prevents dehydration. Better yet, also stock up on water before going out in the heat--as well as drinking during and after. And avoid alcohol and caffeine, which restrict the body's ability to deal with hotter temperatures. 25. FALSE. Water is all you need to replenish the water you lose during an hour of exercise. If you enjoy a flavored beverage such as a sports drink, that's fine too. But you don't need a special beverage after exercise. You'll be able to replenish your electrolytes and minerals later in the day through your normal diet. Only prolonged activity without food or beverages--running a marathon or working in the hot sun without a break--requires periodic electrolyte replacement. 26. FALSE. Your body won't tell you it's thirsty. During busy outdoor activity, it's easy to ignore your body's need for water. An hour of vigorous exercise can cause up to two quarts of fluid loss--loss you might not even be aware of until it's too late and dehydration has occurred. Even if you drink some water, you'll probably quench your thirst before you've fully replenished lost fluids. 27. FALSE. A bare chest picks up more radiant heat, so body temperature rises more quickly. 28. FALSE. All-cotton absorbs sweat, which dries as a salty barrier that impairs a shirt's breathing ability. Cotton-polyester blends breathe better. Fabrics that wick moisture away from the body are another good choice. |
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