June Health Newsletter. Nurse Katie M. Fisher-Walz s Tips for Staying Safe in the Summer Months:

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1 Katie Fisher- Walz s Tips fr Staying Safe in the Summer Mnths Treating Insect Bites in Children Summer First- Aid/Emergency Kit Essentials fr when Traveling June Health Newsletter Grilling-Out Meal Recipe Ideas fr Families Nurse Katie M. Fisher-Walz s Tips fr Staying Safe in the Summer Mnths: With summer-time nw upn us, I m sure mst, if nt all f yu, are eagerly awaiting the increased hurs f sunlight every day and warmer temperatures! Peruse these Summer-time safety tips t make sure that yu have the mst enjyable, yet safe, summer pssible! Nurse Katie M. Fisher-Walz: 725 W. 2nd Street Ottumwa, IA kwalz@sieda.rg ext. 163

2 Summer Safety Tips: Practice Summer Heat Safety 1. Never leave an infant r yung child alne in a clsed car in the summer. In the summer, a clsed car can heat up as much as 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Nne f us wuld ever cntemplate sticking ur children in an ven, s use the same principle when running errands with yur children. Dn t leave a baby in a clsed car, even fr an errand that shuld nly take a minute. 2. Remember t keep yurself, as well as yur children, well-hydrated, especially when yu are utside in the heat. Children playing summer games/sprts, shuld drink adequate amunts f water the night befre a game r sprts practice, and keep drinking all day lng, even befre they becme thirsty. Pack a small cler with plenty f bttle water t ensure that yur children, as well as yurself, are staying hydrated! 3. Keep yur children safe arund pen bdies f water. Best advice, never leave a child alne near any bdy f water. Watch yur children cnstantly. A child can easily drwn in a bdy f water as small as 6 inches deep, and can migrate frm the shallw end f a pl t the deep end in as little as a few secnds. Make sure yur child always wears an apprved life jacket when riding in a bat, and make sure that children wh cannt swim safely n their wn, wear water wings, r an apprved fltatin device when in the water. 4. Make sure that yur children, as well as yurself, dn t skimp n the sunblck! Sunblck shuld be reapplied ften t ensure maximum cverage/prtectin when saking up the sun rays! Sweat and water wash away sunblck very quickly, s it is best t reapply every hur r tw t ensure sun safety. If a sunburn were t ccur, make sure t apply ften sufficient amunts f misturizing ltin cntaining ale Vera, t sthe the sunburn/ease pain. Avid ltin creams with tpical antihistamines, as yur child as well as yurself, may be sensitive t these types f creams which can lead t an allergic reactin taking place. 5. Bug bites, specifically msquit bites, can be very annying, as well as extremely uncmfrtable. In rare cases, West Nile virus, encephalitis, r ther illnesses can ensue pst- Msquit bite expsure. Ticks are anther ptentially dangerus insect t cme int cntact with, as they can carry Rcky Muntain sptted fever. Fr these reasns, it is best t avid all types f insect bites. Be sure t spray yurself, as well as yur children, with insect-repellant cntaining DEET whenever yu r children are ging t be utside fr lng perids f time. I knw sme parents d wrry abut the risks invlved with DEET applicatin, but current research has nt fund any measureable risks assciated with applicatin f DEET-cntaining sprays. If yu r yur child des succumb t insect-bites, ver-the-cunter crtisne creams wrk the best t treat itching/bite discmfrt. 6. Avid expsure t pisn ivy, ak, r sumac. The ld adage, Leaves f three, let it be!, is a gd rule f thumb t fllw. Mst individuals develp sme type f rash frm expsure t the

3 ils released frm these plants. The ils released frm these plant leafs can stay n yur skin, clthing, shes, wrk/gardening glves, even yur dg fr extended amunts f time. If yu think that yu may have been expsed t these plants, wash yur skin immediately after expsure, as well as yur utdr clthing with regular sap and/r laundry detergent. Once the ils have been washed frm the skin and/r clthing, the rash will n lnger spread. It can take up t 21- days (three weeks) fr pisn ivy, ak, r sumac-related rashes t fully heal. Crtisne-based creams are the best t treat the annying itch assciated with expsure t these plants. If the annying itch desn t disappear fllwing the use f these prducts, yu may need t visit yur family dctr t attain a prescriptin-strength anti-itch cream r anti-histamine pills. Insect-Bite Treatment fr Yung Children: With the enthusiasm f ur kidds, and their desire t play utdrs, especially when the weather is sunny and warm, insect bites ften will prevail. If and/r when insect bites d ccur, fllw these helpful tips t best treat yur child s bites: Treatment fr Insect Bites 1. Itchy Insect Bite Treatment: Apply sterid/anti-itch cream. T reduce itching, use 1% hydrcrtisne cream such as Crtaid. N prescriptin is typically needed t treat insect bites. Put cream n 3 times a day until the itch is fully gne. If cream is nt available, apply t bug-bite site ice wrapped in a washclth and keep n bite site fr up t 20 minutes. Als, yu can put firm, sharp, direct, steady pressure n the bite. D this fr 10 secnds t reduce the itch. Take allergy medicine if cream is nt sufficient enugh t treat the bug bites effectively. Benadryl (ver-the-cunter cream) typically wrks best t minimize itching. 2. Painful Insect Bite Treatment: If bite sites are exceptinally painful, sak cttn ball in a baking sda slutin. Rub the bites with this slutin fr 15 t 20 minutes. This treatment will usually reduce the pain. Yu can als use/apply an ice cube in a wet washclth t bite sites fr 20 minutes. Summer First- Aid/Emergency Kit Essentials fr when Traveling: Cell phne with a list f emergency cntact numbers. -bttled wrks best; keep plenty in stck t help prevent and treat dehydratin. Medicatins fr chrnic cnditins-keep in riginal bttles, which list dsing infrmatin fr individual medicatin is prescribed fr. -keep in varius sizes t treat all types f injuries. and scrapes-nesprin wrks great t help prevent infectins in pen wunds/sres. Keep a set f Tweezers in the kit, as well. t treat bruises; keep with icepack a washclth t wrap arund icepack t prevent direct cntact with the skin. -bth creams and tablets, t treat the itch/reactin assciated with insect bites. An Epi-pen fr a persn with knwn allergies-keep with Epi-pen a written list f individuals knwn allergies. -make sure t purchase sunblck with an SPF level f at least 30 t prtect skin against the rays f the sun.

4 Tylenl and/r acetaminphen-cntaining medicatin can als be given t reduce discmfrt. Ibuprfen medicatins, fr example Advil, als are cmmnly used t treat bite and t aid in the healing prcess.

5 Grilling-Out Recipe Ideas fr Families Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Pizza- Ingredients: 1 pund bneless skinless chicken breast halves 4 teaspns Mc Crmick Rasted Garlic and Herb seasning 1 cup shredded mzzarella cheese 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 teaspn regan leaves 1 pund fresh pizza dugh r frzen dugh, thawed r 1 prepared thin pizza crust (12- inch) 1 tablespn live il 1 can (8 unces) tmat sauce 2 plum tmates, thinly sliced 1/3 cup sliced black lives 1/3 cup chpped red nins Directins: Sprinkle bth sides f chicken with 3 teaspns f the Seasning. Grill ver medium heat 5 t 7 minutes per side r until chicken is cked thrugh. Cut int bite-size cubes. Mix cheeses, regan and remaining 1 teaspn Seasning in small bwl. Rll dugh n flured baking sheet t a 12- t 14-inch rund. Brush tp f dugh with il. Place iled-side dwn n the grill. Clse lid. Grill ver medium heat 1 t 2 minutes. Flip crust ver using tngs r a spatula. Spread tmat sauce n crust. Layer with grilled chicken, cheese mixture, tmat slices, lives and nin. Clse lid. Grill 3 t 4 minutes lnger r until cheese is melted and crust is brwned. Slide pizza nt baking sheet. Slice and serve immediately.