First aid in the summer

Summer is here and hopefully the weather will finally cooperate. Of course we are all looking forward to the nice weather again, days out and planned vacation destinations. But even now that Corona has taken a bit of a back seat, there are plenty of other “dangers” lurking in the summer. Think bites from critters, discomfort while traveling, too much sun and pesky plants. Of course, we are not doctors, but we have tips for you to prevent and cure!

Bites from bugs

Oak Processionary Moth

One pesky critter in this list is the oak processionary caterpillar. This is a caterpillar of a moth that overwinters as a pupa in the soil near an oak tree. When it pupates into a butterfly, it enters the oak tree to deposit its larvae. These grow into caterpillars with dangerous fire hairs. Ester’s son played sports two years ago in an area where this caterpillar was found to be and developed rashes and blisters all over his body, which burned very badly.

It helped him to go over the spots with a piece of tape and pull it loose so the burning hairs came off his skin. Then we rubbed all the spots with Aloe Vera Gel to cool the spots. A sticky clothes roller can also help! Unfortunately, recovery from this takes a long time. It can take almost two weeks for all the spots to go away. Fortunately, the burning sensation does get less and less, but it’s annoying enough to pay close attention. After all, prevention is still better than cure.

Bees

Two years ago I was stung by a bee for the first time in my life. That was really no fun because it burned terribly and it got thick right away. Fortunately, we have an extraction kit in the house that allowed me to suck out the venom right away. Then I put a cold washcloth on it and rubbed the spot thickly with Azaron. Don’t have an extraction kit handy but the sting is still in your skin? Then gently scrape the sting away with your fingernail or use the blunt side of a knife/scissors to do so. Don’t have Azaron on hand? Then use another cooling ointment with Aloe Vera or Calendula. Have you or someone close to you been stung in the mouth? Call 1-1-2 and arrange for an ice cube. Sucking on that will counteract the swelling. Above all, don’t panic, but that’s kind of the maxim when it comes to first aid.

Mosquitoes

There is nothing more annoying than a mosquito in your room or tent. You cut out your light and there you have those bitches. Mosquitoes are attracted to nice perfume and body lotion. People who have been drinking alcohol are also ferociously attractive to mosquitoes. So keep that in mind. But what else can you do to keep mosquitoes out?

• Lavender, eucalyptus and lemon are terrible for mosquitoes! So apply oil with these scents to your body. It doesn’t hurt and it works perfectly!
• Mosquitoes like windless, so put up a fan or turn on the air conditioner.
• Lubricate yourself with DEET (although that smell is not really nice for us either). By the way, the one from Etos is doable and works fine!
• Use a mosquito net, it’s cozy too!
• Use a mosquito plug, you won’t hear the high pitched sound, but mosquitoes hate it!

Ticks

If you’ve spent a day in the woods or you’ve been hiking in tall grass, always check yourself and your family members for ticks. Ticks look like tiny spiders when they have not yet filled up. If they are full, they look like gray capuchins. You cannot just pull out a tick: there is a chance that the head will remain in the wound. Therefore, make sure you always have tweezers or tick forceps in your first aid kit. You can get Lyme disease from a tick so always remember where and when you were stung.

Ticks like warm places so check:

• your armpits
• the backs of your knees
• behind your ears
• the edge of your underpants
• your groin
• your neck, where your hairline is

If you found a tick:

• Then remove it as soon as possible.
• If the tick has not yet bitten down, use tape on the sticky part of a band-aid.
• If the tick did bite, use a pair of tick pliers or tweezers.
• Put the forceps or tweezers as close to the skin as possible (don’t squeeze the tick’s body!).
• Pull the tick loose with a gentle pulling motion.
• If you use tweezers, pull the tick off the skin in a straight motion.
• Are you using tick forceps? Check the instructions. Sometimes you have to make a pulling movement and sometimes a twisting movement.
• Make sure you take out the whole tick.
• Disinfect the place where the tick has been (note: you do this only after you have removed the tick. Do not do this while the tick is still in your skin!)

When do you go to the doctor?

• If you can’t get the tick out.
• If in the months after the bite you get a red ring/spot where you were stung.
• You start to feel flu-like.
• You start seeing double.
• You get pain in your limbs and loss of strength in your hands, arms and/or legs.
• You get pain in your joints.
• Always consult your doctor in case of tick bites in children! Chances are the doctor will give a course of antibiotics.

Jellyfish bites

You’re out swimming and suddenly you feel you’re being stung. But you don’t see anything! Chances are you’ve been stung by a jellyfish. Most jellyfish are transparent, so they are not really noticeable. But painful it is! A jellyfish doesn’t actually sting, but if you swim against its tentacles, they do give off venom. In most cases, painful, red spots develop. A jellyfish bite can cause nausea, vomiting, fever, confusion and sometimes even unconsciousness.

What can you do about a jellyfish bite?

• Take as hot a shower as possible; this will relieve the pain.
• Remove any tentacles (do put on gloves or use tweezers!).
• Vinegar can help against jellyfish bites (but is counterproductive if you’ve been stung by a Portuguese warship).
• After treatment, cooling is fine.
• Consult a beach aid station or doctor for ointment to relieve pain and itching.

Sea urchins

In some countries, sea urchins live in the water. Sea urchins are not aggressive animals, but you may accidentally step on one. When you step on a sea urchin, the spines break off in your skin. The spines give off poison, making it very painful. Remove the spines as soon as possible and disinfect the wounds with vinegar. Can’t get the spines out completely? Then soak a cloth in vinegar and tie it around your foot. It does take a few days for the spines to dissolve. If pain persists, it is advisable to consult a doctor. But prevention is always better than cure! Therefore, wear water shoes in the sea so that your feet are protected!

Travel

Car sickness

People who travel a long way by car may encounter this. Children are especially prone to car sickness. My son, too, can suffer from it. Very annoying for the child, but also for the rest of the occupants. So what can you do against car sickness?

• Always take spit bags, which you can get at the drugstore. There is a substance at the bottom that converts vomit into an odorless jelly. It often comes with a mouth wipe, too.
• My son benefits greatly from his anti-car sickness band. We bought it at the ANWB.
• There are also pills available against car sickness.
• Make sure your child does not sit with his or her head bent too much. Reading and playing computer games will not help. Hang a video screen instead. Then the child looks straight ahead.
• Take regular breaks to stretch the legs.
• Open a window for fresh air.

Earache on the plane

Many people experience ear pain during the takeoff and landing of an airplane. Adults, but also children. Especially for small children it is difficult to deal with this because they do not understand where the pain suddenly comes from. A good tip is to give little ones drinks from a baby bottle during takeoff and landing. This keeps them swallowing which clears the ears naturally. For the slightly older children and adults among us, chewing on a candy such as wine gums, licorice or gum is also always a useful remedy. Yawning or clearing your ears by pinching your nose shut and gently trying to blow through your nose will also help. Are your ears really bothering you? Then nasal spray with Xylometazoline or special pressure-reducing earplugs can help.

Too much sun

Sunburn

You know the one: you’re sitting in the sun sipping a cocktail during the summer vacations. There’s a nice breeze so it won’t be so harsh in the sun. Wrong! By the end of the day, you’re completely sunburned. Everything hurts and you feel very unpleasant. Prevention is obviously better than cure, but what can you do if you are sunburnt?

• Take a lukewarm shower without soap.
• Dip a tea towel in buttermilk and place it on the burned area.
• Coat the burned area with yogurt.
• Coat the burned skin with Aloe Vera, which is available at the drugstore.
• Place slices of cucumber on the burned area.
• Coat with aftersun.
• Slices of raw potato will draw the warm from your skin.
• Make chamomile tea, let it cool and use compresses or cotton pads

Burned skin takes at least three days to recover. So don’t go right back into the sun the next day.

Sunstroke

You may not feel well at all after a sunburn. Do you get vomiting, headache, dizziness, look pale and have glowing skin? Then chances are you have caught sunstroke. What can you do about sunstroke?

• Take a cool shower.
• Lie down in a cool room.
• Keep calm.
• Try to drink, but no alcohol!
• If this doesn’t ease your symptoms, contact your doctor.

PS: Even if you stay in the Netherlands, be careful with the sun. In recent years our summers have been almost as tropical as on exotic islands, so here too you have to keep applying sunscreen and watch out for sunstroke.

Nasty plants

In summer, children like to play outside a lot. But unfortunately, while romping in the bushes, they sometimes come across a nasty plant that can affect the skin.

Hogweed

Hogweed is a plant that has become a real pest in recent years. Especially the giant hogweed. This plant can grow up to 5 meters tall and has large white flower heads in the summer period. You find it a lot along bike paths, along highways and poorly maintained forests and parks.

The problem with this plant is that it does not react immediately when touched, but only after about 24 hours. So you do not always realize that you have come in contact with this plant. The plant’s sap causes red, itchy spots and can even progress to blistering, especially if the spots get sunlight. If you notice that you have been in contact with a giant hogweed, it is important to rinse the spot thoroughly as soon as possible and avoid the sun as much as possible for a week. If skin lesions are seen, it is best to contact your doctor.

Nettles

A nettle is another one of those plants that can be quite a nuisance. Although, fortunately, this plant is a lot more harmless than the giant hogweed. As soon as you come into contact with a stinging nettle, you will immediately feel it burning or stinging. The house can become red and swollen and, when in contact with water in particular, the painful feeling worsens. In most cases, this feeling goes away on its own within an hour. If you don’t want to wait for that, you can rub the area with a mentholated ointment, Calendula ointment or Aloe Vera gel.

Also important!

In some countries it is mandatory to carry a first aid bag or box in the car. To avoid discussion and for your own safety, it is always nice to have in your trunk. A warning triangle and safety vest is mandatory in every European country. In France it is mandatory to carry an alcohol test. Happy and safe vacations all!