(Radio Iowa) – With kids out of school and warm weather in the forecast, Iowa’s county and state parks are filling up with campers, which means hospital emergency rooms will also be filling up with folks who’ve had mishaps while camping.
Dr. Benjamin Orozco, an emergency medical physician with the Gundersen Health System, says parents need to be especially vigilant to keep kids from playing near the campfire.
Dr. Benjamin Orozco (Gundersen Health photo)
“We will see a number of burns this summer, often on the hands, touching the hot fire ring, while the fire is hot but also right after,” Orozco says. “Something you always want to be especially mindful of is little children around a campfire. That happens really quickly and it can be a real heartbreaker when it does take place.”
While it’s great to get outdoors and enjoy nature, too much sun can lead to a severe burn. He says it’s important to use sunscreen, especially for kids.
“The number of sunburns that you get early in life, really, that impacts your cancer risk later in life,” Orozco says. “If you talk to someone who starts having problems with recurrent skin cancers, they’ll tell you they wish they would have covered up with sunscreen while they were younger and out in the open.”
Ticks and mosquitoes can turn an otherwise pleasant weekend outdoors into a nightmare, and Orozco says to stick with the tried-and-true repellent brands to keep the pests away.
“A common misconception is that people will want to use a natural or an herbal insect repellent,” Orozco says. “The AAP and virtually every reputable medical society that cares about kids and people recommend using a ‘real’ bug repellent, something with a high concentration of DEET.”
Wherever you may be camping or hiking, Orozco says to stay weather aware, because being oblivious to the forecast and potential temperature extremes could land you in the ER.
“If the heat index is high, you’ve got to stay hydrated. Think about your sunscreen, if it’s going to be cold, wet and rainy, or if you’re going to be out all day and there’s a possibility that storm can roll in, that’s where we see injuries from exposure and heat exhaustion. Or in the early spring and in the fall, where you can get into that hypothermia, unexpected, where somebody’s out farther than they should be and the weather changes abruptly.”
Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.
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