Normally, I spend the Fourth of July on the shores of a Wisconsin lake, getting eaten alive by mosquitos, burning to a bright shade of pink, lighting sparklers and eating potato salad that has sat in the sun for hours. Heaps of fun, but also plenty of opportunities to fall ill.
This year, I've been barred from that fun trip by my oh-so-practical doc, who thinks unnecessary travel isn't the smartest option for someone who is eight-months pregnant. Instead, I'll have to be satisfied with reading a Washington Post article, published earlier this week, about all the summer health hazards I'm avoiding by celebrating the holiday in my coastal California home.
First is athlete's foot, a fungus that "lingers on warm, wet surfaces such as poolside pavement and the floors of locker rooms and public showers" that produces an oozing pus. Or its relative, a toenail fungus that leads to yellow, thickened nails. And I thought a big belly was a bit of bother.
There's also coxsackie virus, known for causing hand, foot and mouth disease, which thrives in kids' wading pools courtesy of the occasional leaky diaper. The virus usually causes blisters; in rare cases it can lead to heart failure, says Stanford pediatrics professor Bonnie Maldonado, MD. Note to self: Keep baby out of unchlorinated kiddie pools.
We're just getting warmed up here. There's the summertime regulars of food poisoning, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. So yeah, that potato salad, while still yummy, probably isn't a good idea, nor is the all-afternoon exposure to 95-plus degrees.
Don't forget swimmer's ear, an infection of the ear canal that, according to otolaryngologist Richard Rosenfeld, MD, from New York can "really, really, really hurt and ruin a vacation." And a walk in the woods can quickly yield a ravaging rash from poison ivy or oak.
Throw in insect-borne plagues like West Nile and Lyme disease and gee, I guess my front porch isn't looking so bad after all.
Previously: As summer heats up, take steps to protect your skin, This summer's Stanford Medicine magazine shows some skin and Stanford nutrition expert offers tips for a healthy and happy Fourth of July
Photo by Jordan Richmond
