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Today, June 21 st,   is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year and the official start of summer!
Summer is a great time to be outside and enjoy the weather. But summer activities bring additional risks to your health. We at All Island Dermatology Plastic Surgery & Laser Center want you to have a safe and enjoyable summer. So be safe this summer by knowing these 5 summer safety tips. A little bit of prevention can help keep your summer safe and fun! 
HAVE A BLOCK PARTY
With all of the warnings that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and that 5 million new skin cancer cases are diagnosed annually, you would think that Americans would be getting fewer sunburns, not more. But not so!

Half of U.S. adults under 30 say they’ve had a sunburn at least once in the past year, according to a recent study. And white women who get five or more blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 have an 80 percent increased risk for melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer. Your risk for melanoma doubles even If you've had just five sunburns in your life.

So here are some tips to enjoy your fun in the sun…. safely:
  • Stay in the shade whenever possible and limit your sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Wear a hat with a wide brim facing forward and sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection.
  • Wear protective clothing and a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Use extra caution near water and sand as they reflect UV rays that might result in sunburn more quickly.
“LEAVES OF THREE, LET THEM BE”!
Did you know that according to the American Academy of Dermatology 85 percent of people are allergic to urushiol, a colorless, odorless oil found in the sap of plants such as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac?

Follow the old adage, “Leaves of Three, Let Them Be”!

Each year an estimated 25 to 40 million people in the U.S. will feel the infamous itch of poison ivy, a plant that typically grows in the form of a vine or a bush. For most people this itchy rash will appear one or two days after they have been exposed to the plant, and the condition can last anywhere from 10 days to three weeks. The reaction usually starts with redness and swelling of the skin, which is then followed by either bumps or blisters.

Once you notice the symptoms you should immediately contact All Island Dermatology Plastic Surgery & Laser Center .

Here are some tips to follow:
  • If you come in contact with poison ivy wash the skin as quickly as possible with soap and cold running water.
  • People with poison ivy tend to find relief from cool baths or cool compresses. Also try massaging the area with an ice cube for relief. Topical creams such a calamine lotion can also be used to ease the itching.
  • Be sure to wash the clothing items you were wearing when you came into contact with the poison ivy as some oil might still remain on your clothes. Also wash any items you might have come in contact with, including gardening tools and Fido!
  • Stop the rash from spreading! The poison ivy rash will spread to other areas of your body and to other people only if the oil from the plant is still on your skin or hand. Once the oil has been removed form your skin it cannot spread!
  • Never burn poison ivy to get rid of it. The burning plant can still release oils that could result in a widespread rash for everyone near the fire.
AND THE ITCHY-TWITCHY HEAT RASH
Suddenly out of nowhere you’re covered in small, angry-looking bumps on your skin. Small, itchy red bumps surrounded by redness on the skin could be the symptoms of heat rash. Heat rash (prickly heat) is a red or pink rash usually found on body areas covered by clothing, often common in children. It can develop when the sweat ducts become blocked and swell, and often leads to discomfort and itching.
Call All Island Dermatology Plastic Surgery & Laser Center if:

  •     The heat rash is still visible after 3 or 4 days.
  •     The rash gets worse.
  •     The rash causes serious itching.
  •     The rash oozes or swells.
  •     The rash is red or purple or looks like bruises.
  •     The rash is tender.
  •     The rash causes a fever.
SUMMERTIME STINGS
You’re out for a pleasant day of yard work and you dig up a hornet’s nest – literally! For most people a bee or wasp sting is just painful, but for some it can be life threatening. Three in 100 adults in the U.S. – or nearly 7 million people – have life-threatening allergies to insect stings.

Most people who get stung will just have pain, tenderness and swelling at the sting site. But if you experience any of the following, seek immediate medical attention or visit an emergency room.
-           Hives, itchiness, and swelling over large areas of your body.
-           Tightness in the chest or trouble breathing.
-           Swelling of the tongue or face.
-           Dizziness or feeling faint.
DON'T GET TICKED OFF
One of the most potentially dangerous bites is a tick bite, which can cause Lyme disease. Lyme disease is an infection caused by a bacterium that can be transmitted from infected animals (usually deer) to humans by tick bites.

Because ticks are small and hard to see, many people who get Lyme disease don’t usually remember even being bitten. While most tick bites do not result in Lyme disease, it helps to be aware of the symptoms of Lyme disease.

The disease can affect different body systems such as the nervous system, joints, skin and heart. The Lyme disease symptoms are often described as happening in 3 stages, although not everyone might experience all of the 3 stages:

  • In roughly 80% of all cases one of the first signs of an infection is a circular, bulls-eye rash. The bulls-eye usually has a central red spot surrounded by normal colored skin that is ringed by an expanding red rash.
  • Along with a rash a person may experience flu-like symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache and muscle aches. Lyme disease can affect the heart, leading to an irregular heart rhythm or chest pain. It can spread to the nervous system, causing facial paralysis (Bells’ palsy) or tingling and numbness in the arms and legs. It can cause headaches and neck stiffness and possibly swelling and pain in the large joints.
  • The last stage of Lyme disease can occur if the early stages of the disease were not detected or appropriately treated. Symptoms of late Lyme disease can appear any time from weeks to years after an infectious tick bite and may include arthritis, particularly in the knees, as well as memory loss.

If you think you’ve been bitten by a tick or experience any of the symptoms above, please immediately call
All Island Dermatology Plastic Surgery & Laser Center.
Wishing you a safe and fun summer!

 DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this email is intended for general knowledge only and is not intended to be professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use the information contained in this email to diagnose or treat a health problem, disease, or other medical condition without consulting a qualified health care provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. In addition, please do not use this email address for communicating any clinical diagnostic or personal health information, as this mailbox is not intended for such communications.  
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