What Are the Most Common Summer Medical Emergencies?

When there is sunshine, we only think about outdoor fun. The outdoor activities present a unique opportunity for friends and family to bond in a physically engaging way. Kids no longer worry about school, and some parents are on vacation.

However, with the increase in outdoor activities, there is a rise in summer emergencies waiting to happen. During summer, we notice a rise in people requiring medical assistance at our emergency room in Houston.

Since there is an increase in summer emergencies, it is prudent to exercise caution when you and your loved ones are having fun during the summer. Let’s check out the various emergencies in summer that need medical assistance.

Common Medical Emergencies That Occur in Summer

The warm and humid weather causes most people to desire to spend more time enjoying the sunshine. Some of the common emergencies that you might experience during the summer are:

Heat Exhaustion

When you spend too much time outside, you will expose yourself to high temperatures. If you notice that you are sweating a lot and not taking enough fluids to rehydrate, you will experience heat exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion can also occur when you live in a place with poor air circulation. Some signs that reveal you are experiencing heat exhaustion are fainting, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and lightheadedness.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke, on the other hand, is more severe than heat exhaustion. It occurs when your body cannot coot itself. Therefore, your body is overheating, which damages the major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys.

You will begin to experience nausea and a headache. But as it progresses, you will experience confusion, dizziness, and loss of coordination. You will lapse into a comma if you don’t seek emergency care.

Burns and Cuts

Sunburns are prevalent during summer because of overexposure to sunlight and wearing fewer clothes. The sun’s UV rays penetrate the skin and can cause damage to your epidermis. The sunburns range in severity since it depends on the level of exposure. In most cases, the body can repair itself, but it is a medical emergency if you notice blistering or have a fever.

Also, during summer, people enjoy grilling and using backyard pits, so more burns occur when people grill meat. Plus, fireworks are another cause of burns in most kids and teenagers.

Since there is an increase in activities such as cooking and yard work, there are plenty of chances of cutting yourself. Cuts also come with increased bleeding since most cases; you will be performing an activity that might increase your heart rate.

Dehydration

There is usually a considerable risk when your body doesn’t have enough water. Since the summer comes with high temperatures, you will likely lose more water than in the cooler months. So, if you take the usual quantity of water that you are used to, it will lead to dehydration.

Dehydration ranges from mild to severe. If you have mild dehydration, there will be no need to seek emergency care since it can be solved by drinking fluids. However, when you have moderate to severe dehydration, you might risk experiencing serious symptoms such as fainting and seizures.

Dehydration is among the leading causes of summer emergencies because most people underestimate the heat and take fewer fluids.

Swimming Injuries

Swimming injuries are another major issue that causes many people to visit our emergency room in Houston. Most cases involve kids since they are more prone to swimming accidents than adults. Swimming injuries can be drowning, slip and fall, electrical injuries, etc.

Sports Injuries

During summer, there is an increased number of people engaging in sports. Therefore, there is a spike in sports injury cases in our ERs. Sports injuries include broken bones, concussions, sprains, strains, etc.

Insect Stings and Bites

Insect stings and bites are another common occurrence during summer. Most of the insects and even snakes are more active during summer. So, it is no shock to notice a spike in hospital visits due to insect stings and bites.

How Emergency Rooms Can Help With Summer Medical Emergencies

You should take precautions during summer to avoid unnecessary trips to the ER seeking summer medical injury treatment. But if you find yourself at our doorstep, there is no problem since we have a capable team at Ascent Emergency Room that can handle any medical emergency.

Since summer medical emergencies vary, there will be no one-size-fits-all approach. We will stabilize you and then run the appropriate tests to determine the best way to treat you.

Contact us today if you need summer medical injury treatment.