Safe in the Sun

Sunburn. Dehydration. Insect stings. Poison ivy and poison oak.

Warmer and sunnier days bring about greater opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but time in the sun, at the beach or in the woods requires proper preparation and precautions. Being informed and not taking a seemingly simple day of fun for granted can help keep a good day from taking a turn into something else.

Skin care

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, so taking care of one’s skin when out in the sun is of the utmost importance. Dr. Danielle Baruch, a dermatologist, recommends people apply a broad-spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB) sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater starting 15 minutes prior to sun exposure and every two hours when exposed to the sun.

It takes about 1 ounce (the amount to fill a shot glass) of sunscreen to effectively cover an adult body. No sunscreen is fully waterproof, so it needs to be reapplied after swimming or heavy sweating. Frequently overlooked areas of application include the top of the head, ears, neck and tops of the feet.

Dermatologists almost universally caution against using spray-on sunscreens. The popularity of sprays has been driven by their relative convenience, but they can be difficult to apply evenly and their effectiveness and safety has been scrutinized. “Apply it liberally and rub it in to ensure complete coverage” if you must use it, Baruch says.

Clothing that completely covers the arms and legs and hats that shade the neck, ears and face can be effective options when practical, and wear sunglasses. Seek shade between the highest sun-intensity hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hydration

There are varying recommendations for proper hydration that are dependent on the situation and level of physical activity. Heat, dryness and the level of physical exertion all impact the amount of water needed.

A good starting point, according to clinical dietitian Katherine Basbaum, is the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation of 70 ounces of water per day for women and 100 ounces for men. Two good rules are to drink when thirsty and monitor the color of your urine, Basbaum adds. The ideal is a very pale yellow.

Mild dehydration can cause symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, weakness, headache, dry mouth and dizziness. Moderate to severe dehydration can lead to a decline in cognitive performance; a drop blood pressure; dangerously low levels of oxygen in the body; seizures caused by electrolyte imbalances; and kidney injury or failure.

Foods with high water content include cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries and watermelon, and eating these foods contributes to hydration. Decaffeinated tea and coffee, as well as true juices and some sodas count, but these beverages can contain excessive sugar and additives.

Insect Bites and Stings

Dr. David M. Claborn, a public health professor at Missouri State University, says the best course of action to avoid insect bites and stings is simply avoid areas where biting and stinging insects and related creatures are.

“Places with lots of artificial containers often have a lot of biting mosquitoes,” he says. “Old tires, plastic containers, wrecked cars — all provide excellent larval development areas and should be avoided.”

If gardening or hiking, insect nets that cover the face can be useful against gnats, flies and mosquitoes. Permethrin, which can be sprayed on clothing, and DEET, which can be used on exposed skin, can be effective, he says.

When it comes to avoiding ticks, Claborn advises avoiding overgrown areas, game trails and transitional areas between dominant forms of vegetation — such as from a forested area to a meadow — where the parasitic arachnids are particularly abundant. Ticks can be active in temperatures above freezing — even with snow on the ground — but tend to be most numerous and active from spring to fall. They are persisting into late fall and emerging earlier the following year in northern climates due to milder winters.

After spending time in tick habitat, check the entire body with emphasis on the armpits, groin, neck and scalp.

Ticks are notable for spreading Lyme disease, primarily in the northwest and north-central parts of the United States, though it can occur elsewhere, Claborn says. Ticks also can spread related organisms and chronic infections that can create a slew of other complications. There is a bacterial disease known as tularemia that can be spread by ticks, biting flies and mosquitos.

Calamine lotion and topical anti-itch sprays with Benadryl can be helpful for managing itching caused by bites and stings, while aspirin and ice packs can ease swelling. Showers or baths as cold as you can stand it can help; hot water will make itching worse.

Pesky plants

Plants such as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac can leave a lasting impression in the form of an insufferably bothersome rash, but can lead to scarring and potentially dangerous infections.

These plants contain urushiol, an oil that spreads the rash-inducing defense mechanism. Scrubbing with soap and water will wash the oil off, but this must be done within a relatively short amount of time before the urushiol has had the chance to infiltrate the skin. Contact with contaminated clothing can cause exposure for weeks afterward, so clothes should be washed immediately.

A largely unknown toxic plant is wild parsnip, which is prevalent in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. While taxonomically it is the same as the cultivated parsnip, the wild species’ sap contains a compound that when exposed to sunlight can cause severe blistering if in contact with the skin.