THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 30, 1995 TAG: 9506290220
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAM STARR, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Winter is a doctor's traditional busy season for respiratory diseases, but the nice summer weather brings a host of preventable injuries and illnesses.
Who hasn't received at least one case of poison ivy? Or an insect bite. Heat exhaustion. The ever-popular sunburn. Dried-out sinuses from air conditioning. Dr. Michael Thorogood, a physician at the Indian River Patient First medical care center, has treated his share of summertime maladies.
What a lot of people don't realize, said Thorogood, is that in many cases patients could have treated the illnesses at home.
``Poison ivy is a self-limiting condition; it will go away by itself over a period of time,'' said Thorogood, a native of England and now a Chesapeake resident. ``If it's not too widespread, you can manage it yourself.''
Poison ivy, sumac and oak are more an itchy nuisance than anything, but certain things do help, Thorogood advised. Over-the-counter cortisone creams, calamine lotion and the antihistamine Benadryl will make it go away faster and make the person more comfortable.
But if you just can't stand the itching and it's keeping you awake or interfering with your daily routine, see a doctor. Some people receive a secondary infection on top of the red, blistering skin and will have to take antibiotics.
Misconceptions about poison ivy abound. Thorogood said that you can't give it to anyone else (unless they touch your afflicted skin immediately after first contact) and you can't transfer it to another part of your body. But once sensitized to poison ivy, it can come up anywhere on your body even if only your hand was affected.
``If you know you've touched the stuff, the sooner you wash it off the better,'' Thorogood said. ``We see poison ivy cases in here all the time. If it's really bad we use cortisone-like tablets or shots to suppress the reaction.''
The best way to treat poison ivy, sumac or oak? Avoid them in the first place.
``There's an old saying - leaves of three, let them be,'' Thorogood said with a chuckle. ``Wear appropriate clothing if you're going to be working in the yard.''
Insect bites are another matter. Using an insect repellent may help, especially for mosquitoes, but many people will get bitten anyway.
Bites will cause swelling and itching, which can be treated by applying ice to the affected area and using cortisone, said Thorogood. Some people, however, are allergic to the toxin or poison of the insect (especially bees). That toxin can actually kill them unless they use epinephrine or adrenaline immediately after an attack.
One of the great advances of the 20th century, air conditioning, can cause some problems, too. For those who work and live in air conditioned environments all summer, an annoying side effect can be dry sinuses. But those are easily treated with saline sprays to moisten the passages and a humidifier to use at night.
And what would summer be without sunburn? Even with all the admonitions about using a sun protection factor of 15 or higher, people still burn. Thorogood said that if a sunburn blisters, it's considered to be a second degree burn and needs to be treated. You can treat it yourself with cool compresses (not ice), hydrocortisone cream and Benadryl. Or a doctor can give you special burn creams, cortisone tablets and painkillers if the burn is particularly bad.
One of the most potentially dangerous maladies of summer involves the heat and humidity. When the temperature reaches well into the 90s, everyone who works or exercises outside is at risk for heat exhaustion and possibly heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is characterized by weakness, tiredness, extreme thirst, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting. The body temperature remains normal but the skin becomes cold and clammy. The best way to treat heat exhaustion, said Thorogood, is to get out of the sun, rest and drink plenty of fluids. And completely avoid drinking alcoholic and caffeinated beverages when out in the sun.
``If you get heat exhaustion, you'll be staggering around,'' Thorogood said. ``If you're going to exercise, make sure you do it before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. and take fluids before, during and after exercising.''
Heat stroke, on the other hand, is far more serious. It usually happens to older people who have pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes. Heat stroke causes a loss of consciousness and the skin becomes very hot and dry, Thorogood said, above 105 degrees.
``Heat stroke is a medical emergency,'' he said. ``If left untreated, the internal organs will be affected.''
Of course, when in doubt about any outdoors-related illness or injury, consult a physician. But with a little forethought, said Thorogood, most summer maladies can be prevented. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
One of the most potentially dangerous maladies of summer involves
the heat and humidity, says Dr. Michael Thorogood of Patient First
Medical Center. When the temperature reaches well into the 90s,
everyone who works or exercises outside is at risk for heat
exhaustion and possibly heat stroke, he says.
by CNB