Grace Cottage Hospital’s Summer Safety Tips

Summer Safety Tips
From Grace Cottage Family Health

by Campbell Stewart,
University of Vermont medical student on rotation at Grace Cottage

With summer fast approaching, the outdoors is more welcoming, inviting us all to get out there and have some fun. While these activities can remind us of how great being outdoors can be, let’s not forget to take care of ourselves so we can enjoy all those summers yet to come. The following are a few reminders to help increase your safety awareness while you are making the most of the coming months.

• If you’re going to ride a bicycle or a motorcycle, always wear a properly fitted helmet to protect your noggin. We know it gives you “hat hair” and some might think it is funny looking, but head injury is one of the surest causes of disability and death. Wearing a helmet can turn an otherwise fatal or life-altering crash into a bad tumble with minor bumps and scrapes, or at worst, a few broken bones.
• If you’re going to be enjoying swimming holes, pools, rivers or creeks, always go with a buddy. Even the most experienced swimmers can be caught off-guard by the unexpected and are at risk of drowning, so make sure you have someone looking out for you. Children should always be supervised by an adult when in the water.
• Sun exposure can damage your skin, make you look older and predispose you to the risk of developing skin cancer. Parents should be especially careful with their children’s skin, as sun damage in childhood gives the greatest risk for developing skin cancer. Slap on some SPF 30 or greater when you go outside to prevent cancer and to help you to keep looking young and pretty when you’re older. Hats and sitting in the cool shade also protect against those harmful rays.

Get out there, be active, have fun and remember to take care of yourself!

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