Spring into good health with annual wellness and safety review

Now that spring is here, Lorain County residents are ready to say goodbye to this year’s cold, dreary winter and welcome warmer temperatures and outdoor activities. But as families head outside to bike and barbecue, they often forget that spring brings a whole new set of health and safety considerations.

This spring, in addition to cleaning, Mercy Health Physicians recommend a thorough family safety review that covers allergy control and sun, water, insect and sport safety.

Spring tree pollination is a common cause of seasonal allergies which affect 10 to 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children. Symptoms include sneezing, coughing, nasal congestion and itching of the eyes, ears and throat. Consult your primary care physician if your child develops symptoms similar to those of a cold at the same time every year or has cold-like symptoms for more than a week or two.

Your physician can prescribe medication or recommend other treatments to control the symptoms of seasonal allergies. To limit indoor pollen exposure, close windows when pollen counts are high and remind family members to change clothes after working or playing outside.

Skin health is another spring safety consideration. On average, children receive 50 to 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure by age 18. Too much sun can lead to skin cancer and premature aging.

To protect the skin against sun damage, adults and children over six months should wear sunscreen SPF 30 of higher during outdoor activity. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before exposure and reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or sports. For extra protection, wear sun hats, pants and long sleeves, and stay in the shade during the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spring is also the time to prepare your family for a summer of safe swimming. To prevent accidents, ensure that home swimming pools are properly fenced and gated. Enroll children age four and over in swimming lessons, and always supervise children around water, even if they are good swimmers.

Bug bites and stings are another warm-weather hazard. Fortunately, insect-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus are rare in Ohio. Protect your family by staying indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active and ensuring screens are free of holes. Eliminate mosquito-breeding areas from the yard by draining gutters, planters, wading pools and other sources of standing water. When outside, wear long, light-colored clothing sprayed with an insecticide that contains 10 to 30 percent DEET.

Finally, ensure children and teens use proper protective gear as they head outdoors for biking, skateboarding and sports play. Each year, about 500,000 children sustain serious injuries in bike accidents alone. Most of these could be prevented by proper helmet use. When biking, children should wear highvisibility clothing and a well-fitted helmet certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission or Snell Memorial Foundation. Teach children to use hand signals and obey the rules of the road, and keep bikes in good working order.