What’s making you sick this summer?

Here’s how seasonal ailments can cause havoc with your holidays — and when you should seek help

WE are still enjoying one of the best summers Ireland has seen in years. But hospital visits can come handin-hand with a long, hot summer.

Injuries such as cuts, bruises and limb breakages are the bane of the school holidays for many parents, as children spend hours playing outdoors.

But when is it time to head to the hospital, when will a minor injuries clinic do and when can you just stay at home and get help from the chemist?

Dr David Foley ,a consultant in emergency medicine and Medical Director of the Affidea Express-Care clinic, says there are ways to distinguish whether or not you can avoid the lengthy queues at A&E and head to your local minor injuries unit instead.

‘I work as a consultant in emergency medicines,’ he explains. ‘The kind of presentations I expect to see to a hospital-based emergency department are major illnesses, major trauma and the types of industries that might require admission or consideration for admission.

‘For minor injuries you already have a level of expectation that you are going to be discharged and you are not likely to be considered for admission.

‘Minor injuries are exactly that — cuts, falls, sprains, fractures, minor infections, the sort of illness or injuries that might need to be cleaned, glued, sutured, x-rayed but that can be discharged and followed up in the clinics,’ he explains.

‘Minor injuries clinics have become a lot better at closing the loop and giving the patient the entire journey from diagnosis to discharge, so you can get treated and also have a follow up consultation there.’ And one of the things that could help you decide what to do is a parent’s intuition, Dr Foley says. ‘During the summer, the chances of children getting injuries are are increased, simply because they are spending more time outdoors.

‘Sometimes injuries can be difficult to gage. It can be less intimidating to go to a minor injuries unit, and the threshold for deciding whether your bring a child or go yourself for treatment is based on experience and your intuition.

‘Parents have a reasonably good idea, but there are advice lines you can ring if you are unsure as to what is best to do.’

Here’s the best advice for the most common types of summer problems.

STINGS

BEES, wasps and other critters can cause havoc during an Irish summer. But when do you need help?

‘When you get a sting you might get a red, swollen circular area that is itchy and that is usually because there has been some kind of envenomation and there is an allergic reaction at the site,’ Dr Foley says. ‘A vast majority of those will settle down within a few days by applying ice and an antihistamine which will help it settle down and take the itch out of it.

‘Stings are red and tender and they do cause a bit of localised swelling. Because of this, it can be difficult to tell whether or not it is an infection. But generally, if you get an instant red reaction and it is itchy almost immediately then it will be a localised allergic reaction and not an infection.’

When to seek help: You need to see a doctor immediately if there is any sign of what Dr Foley describes as A, B, C.

‘If there is A — any disturbance of the airways, any swelling, any itchiness around mouth or tongue, any change in your voice, or B — any disturbance of breath, any wheeziness or C, any disturbance of circulation where your blood pressure drops and you feel lightheaded or dizzy, then you need to seek immediate medical help as rarely more severe reactions can occur which can be life-threatening. Immediate treatment includes administration of adrenaline and treatment in a hospital setting.’

SUNBURN

‘UNLIKE when I was growing up in Ireland and can remember being sunburnt and having peeling skin on my shoulders, these days we are all much more aware of the dangers sunburn poses,’ Dr Foley says. ‘In the short-term there is pain and risk of infection but more importantly, being sunburnt as a child increases your risk of developing skin cancers in later life.’

When to seek help: More prolonged exposure to raised temperatures can result in heat stroke, a condition where the body’s own ability to regulate it’s temperature fails. Symptoms include confusion, irritability, nausea, vomiting and headache.

GASTROENTERITIS

THE popularity of barbecues in summer time increase the chances of developing food poisoning through eating under-cooked food or food that hasn’t been refrigerated properly. ‘Symptoms of abdominal cramping, diarrhoea and vomiting are usually easily recognised as gastroenteritis,’ Foley says.

When to seek help: ‘Most of these foodborne illnesses are mild and self-limiting but occasionally can be severe and require hospitalisation,’ he explains. ‘You should seek medical help if there are signs of severe dehydration such as dizziness and confusion; if your vomiting is constant or if you are at risk due to a pre-existing condition.’