Summer Safety Tips

My wife and I were hiking the Chimney Rock trail in Cunningham Falls State Park a few weekends ago. Not far ahead, a 10 year old had his arm protectively wrapped around his little brother's shoulder. "Look to the right. Look to the left," he solemnly instructed. "There is danger everywhere you look."

It was a cute display of big brotherly regard, but I was filled at once with an odd sense of sadness. It is a good thing that as a culture we have promoted "safety-first," a message that had clearly trickled down in this family, but what a shame that we are creating anxious children for whom the most important aspect of a walk along a quiet mountain trail is to identify the many dangers, instead of recognizing and appreciating the beauty of mother nature and the many natural gifts that were enveloping us from all sides. 

As always, the trick is to find the right balance between summer fun and summer safety.  Taking sensible safety precautions will allow us all to be less paranoid and permit us to enjoy life in the great outdoors even more.

Click on the links below to find out more information about the subject of your choice from WebMD.  You can also visit our Share the Health blog for a review of the recent sunscreen debate (do certain chemicals in sunscreen actually promote the growth of cancer cells?), along with advice on avoiding sun damage this summer.

Bug Bites:

• Bug Bite Identifier
• Insect Bites:  What To Do
• Bee and Wasp Stings
• Spider Bites

Summer Skin Care:

• Sunscreen for kids
• Burning Questions About Sunscreens
• Sunless Tanning
• Summer Skin Care Tips

 Summer Exercise:

• Safe Summer Workouts
• Proper Stretching Techniques
• The Importance of Hydration
• Heat Cramps

 Poison Ivy and the Like:

• Poison Ivy
• Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac:  What Happens?
• Home Treatment
• When To Call a Doctor