Three Summer Problems That Get Under My Skin

With the exception of the H1N1 (swine) flu that surprised all of us, the spring and summer months are typically a time when we see a drastic reduction in respiratory infections, like colds and ear infections, and see an increase in "warm weather" health issues.

Soon, schools will be closed for the summer months so the kids can help plow the fields and bring in the crops (sarcasm). Other families will be traveling to their favorite vacation spots, camping, having picnics, hanging out at Little League games, or swimming.

Photo: blmurch

Poison Oak: Like the swallows returning to Capistrano or the blooming for spring flowers, I started to see my first cases of poison oak this week. In our area, poison oak flourishes along a popular bike trail, near the river. All it takes is an innocent brush-by of this toxic plant and you will be rewarded with a pretty impressive, itchy skin eruption a day or so later. Children (and adults) often use the more private, wooded areas as make-shift restrooms, increasing the chance of skin exposure to those more delicate areas. Camping areas that permit open fires often see children actively collecting twigs to add to the smoky fire pit. Being downwind to a poison oak-laden fire will likely expose those happy faces.

Contrary to popular belief, poison oak dermatitis is not contagious. You cannot catch it from another person, but you can catch it from the clothes or shoes they were wearing, or even from the bicycle tires. Any object contaminated with the oily oleoresin of the plant can potentially cause this allergic skin reaction. This oil is very stable and can remain on unwashed objects for a long, long time. The oil can also reside on the fur of your loving pets.

There is really no such thing as a mild case of poison oak if you happen to be the person who has it. It can be absolutely miserable for weeks unless it is definitively treated. I am a big fan of a course of oral steroids (No, not the body-building, Barry Bonds-type steroids). Topical hydrocortisone can only do so much. Treating the itching with colloidal oatmeal baths and antihistamines are usually necessary.

Photo: nicolaitan

Mosquito bites: If it were possible to lose weight by being bitten repeatedly by mosquitoes, I would be thin as a rail. I am literally a mosquito magnet. It can be over 100 degrees, and I will be wearing a long shirt, long pants and hat, smelling of DEET.

Our local mosquitoes still seem to find a hidden place that is unprotected and have lunch...on me. The DEET products do help somewhat, but once I am bitten, I will immediately have an allergic response - big welts that itch like crazy.

I have to plan my garden work during the heat of the day when mosquitoes are not active. I built a bat house, and I never kill a lizard or frog; all creatures that eat them. I would love to eat dinner outdoors on the deck, but I do not lose, yet another battle, with hungry mosquitoes. I have tried Citronella, bug-zappers, and toxic fog to no avail. Even when I am huddled inside, I see them repeatedly pounding on my window glass like those zombies in the Night of the Living Dead.

We are seeing more and more cases of West Nile Fever in our area, so my unique ability to attract mosquitoes has me a bit worried. I have always wanted to travel to Central America and the tropics, but unless I walked around in a huge mosquito net, I would most likely come home with malaria or yellow fever.

Photo: mugley

Sunburn: Humans always seem to underestimate the burning power of the sun - solar radiation. A heard a talk at a medical meeting a few years ago, where the female dermatologist said there should be "no pain treatment" for a teenager with sunburn. She stated that teenagers must experience the pain in its full intensity in order to remember to use sunscreen and protective clothing next time. In Australia, where melanomas are rampant, children are required to wear hats to school as a part of their school uniform. On the beaches, children wear full body swim suits for sunburn protection. It seems that most people in the U.S. are complacent when it comes to sun exposure. Sure, they apply a sunscreen once or twice while at the beach, but many varieties simply wash off after a few minutes in the water. Most have to be re-applied every two hours.

If you do get sunburned (and it is usually your own fault), treat it like any other thermal injury. Cool it down with cold compresses. Take some ibuprofen for the inflammation and use of soothing skin lotions. The best defense is always to avoid the sun, but if you cannot - avoid the sun between 10 AM and 4 PM when the ultraviolet rays are most intense. Use a good sunscreen product that protects against UVA and UVB rays with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30. However, sunscreen is not permission or an excuse for increasing sun exposure.

My brother was diagnosed with melanoma several years ago (it was completely excised) and several of my friends have had melanomas. Nearly every person who is diagnosed with melanoma has a history of at least one, blistering sunburn. Try not to let it happen to you.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Bugged by Mosquito Season?
• WebMD Slideshow: Sun Damaged Skin
• Ear, Nose & Throat Message Board with Rod Moser, PA, PhD
• Living Better Newsletter - Wellness news to keep you healthy and strong!