Nothing ruins summer fun like a burn, bruise, or blister. As the days get longer and people are out enjoying the warmer weather, the risk of outdoor and sports-related injuries skyrockets. For most of us, summer is the time to go outside, get active, and soak up the sun. But with so many opportunities to get hurt, staying safe can get tricky.
Whether you forget to reapply SPF or fall prey to a nasty bug bite, it’s important to be prepared for the worst. Luckily for you, vybe urgent care has some tips on how to spot, treat, and avoid the most common outdoor injuries this summer.
You know when you turn your head sideways, jump up and down, and the pool water still won’t come out? Ah, yes— good ol’ Swimmer’s Ear. This little complication typically occurs when you’ve been spending a lot of time underwater.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection in the outer ear canal, which runs from your eardrum to the outside of your head. It’s often brought on by water that remains in your ear after swimming, creating a moist environment that aids bacterial growth. The first step in avoiding this nasty pain in the ear is to keep water out—try using earplugs when you’re heading into the pool or ocean.
Once water gets in there, it can lead to a world of discomfort and the possibility of developing an infection. Unfortunately, buying over the counter ear drops won’t help solve your problem once the infection starts brewing. If you’re experiencing redness in your outer ear accompanied by warmth and pain for an extended period of time, you may want to swing by your local vybe urgent care for earache treatment.
Everything hurts and you look like a lobster—bet you’re wishing you had reapplied your sunscreen while you were enjoying the beach with your friends. Not to worry, though, if your sunburn symptoms are mild, the best sunburn treatments to ease your pain and discomfort are aloe or over-the-counter pain medication.
However, if you’re in severe pain or things start to blister, that may be a sign of sun poisoning — a trip to your local vybe may be in your future. In the meantime, stay out of the sun, wear protective clothing like long-sleeves or hats, and don’t forget the sunscreen even when it’s overcast.
Sweating while you’re running around with the kids or playing a friendly game of kickball is one thing. But when your skin turns hot and red and you experience a change in mental status and a feeling of dizziness, you’re likely dealing with heat stroke or major dehydration. While feeling overheated in the summertime may seem like a given, heatstroke requires serious attention as it could lead to potential brain damage.
If your dehydration symptoms are mild, you should move into a cool setting with air conditioning, drink fluids, and treat affected areas with ice packs. However, if you start exhibiting concerning symptoms, such as nausea, light-headedness, and shallow breathing, seek treatment in an emergency facility.
Before you start panicking, remember there are preventative steps you can take to avoid slipping into the danger zone: wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or more, drink extra fluids, and reschedule an outdoor activity if it’s an especially hot day. Our expert advice? Avoid the outdoors when the heat is most intense—generally between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Summer means barbecues, bonfires, and a whole bunch of opportunities to get burned. Burns, like the majority of outdoor injuries, can range from mild to severe. Whether you’re building a fire, roasting marshmallows, or lighting up fireworks, you are putting yourself at risk for serious injury.
If you do get burned and the skin is still intact with no sign of blistering, soak the area in cold water for at least five minutes before washing and covering it with a loose bandage. When it comes to small second and third-degree burns, you should see someone at your local vybe to make sure you get the medical attention you require. But if the burn is covering a larger surface area, the ER is your best bet. Also, stop playing with fire. You don’t want to be that guy.
Don’t allow these most common summer injuries in outdoor activities to prevent you from having a little fun in the sun. Just remember this summer to play it safe, and know that there’s always a vybe urgent care location to have you feeling better as soon as you walk in.
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