Nature's Edge - Protect Yourself from Sun and Insects - July 2008

Summer is a beautiful time of year in Lincolnshire. In addition, to our beautiful wooded private properties, there are many wonderful parks, paths and natural areas to walk, bike and play. In order to enjoy our summer months, it is important to know how to protect ourselves from sun and insects.

Sun: Sun screen should be a daily habit – just as you dress yourself each day, you should apply sun screen. Sun screen is now included in many moisturizers and body lotions. Unprotected exposure to sun can not only prematurely age you, but it can cause skin cancer.

The Skin Cancer Foundation provides the following tips to guard against sunburn and damage:

• Seek shade – especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Do not burn.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.
• Apply 2 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body at least 30 minutes prior to going outside.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
• Be sure to cover up with clothing including a wide brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
• See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

Bee or Wasp Stings: Another concern when being out of doors is the opportunity to be bitten or stung by insects. If proper precautions are taken, this unpleasant experience can be avoided.

If threatened, bees and wasps will sting. Bees and wasps inject a venom through their stingers. If a stinger is left in the skin, the stinger should be removed as soon as possible because venom continues to be pumped through the stinger into the skin. Do not use tweezers or your fingers to remove the stinger. Doing so will push more venom into the skin. Instead, use a butter knife or edge of a credit card to brush the stinger out of the skin.

Mosquito or Tick Bites: While the risks of disease are low, care should be taken to avoid bites from mosquitoes or ticks. When these insects bite they release a chemical that is an anticoagulant. This enables them to feed on your blood. This can be avoided if insect repellent is applied prior to going out of doors.

Care should be taken to inspect your body – daily – from head to toe for ticks. At least 36 to 48 hours of feeding is required for a tick, if it carries a disease, to transmit the bacterium. If a tick has imbedded itself in your skin, use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible. Pull backwards gently – do not jerk or twist. Try not to squeeze or crush the body of the tick. Doing so could cause the tick to regurgitate fluids into the skin. Disinfect the skin and hands thoroughly with soap and water. If the head or mouth parts remain in the skin, leave them alone. They will come loose on their own - much like a sliver.

Mosquito bites can be very irritating but they can also make you sick. Last year 101 cases of West Nile virus were diagnosed in Illinois. Efforts should be taken to protect your skin by using insect repellent, but you also need to eliminate opportunities for mosquitoes to breed around your home. Eliminate any standing water, i.e. bird baths, gutters, ponds, flower pots, wading pools, and any other receptacle.

If bitten or stung, do not scratch the area because of risk of infection.

To relieve the pain or itch, you can apply a paste made of baking soda and water. You can also apply unseasoned meat tenderizer, containing papain to the bite or sting. In addition, there are many commercial products you can buy to relieve the itch or sting from insects.

For an enjoyable summer, clearly "an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure!"

For more information on sunburn, ticks or mosquitoes visit www.epa.gov.