Summer is upon us. Schools are beginning vacation this week. The warm summer weather brings more time outdoors. This for many people means more time spent pursuing physical activities.

This increase in physical exertion may lead to some of the common summer ailments. Luckily, with some good preventative medicine many of the summertime woes can be avoided or lessened.

Our exposure to the sun can lead to sunburns and heatstroke. Individuals with sunburns not only suffer from the local pain and swelling, but also increase the possibility of future skin cancers such as melanoma.

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests applying sunscreen to exposed skin every day. A minimum SPF of 15 is recommended. Prepare for the day at the beach by putting sunscreen on dry skin 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure. Use caution when applying sunscreen on children, taking special care not to get it in their eyes. Reapply every two hours while in the sun, and more frequently if swimming or sweating.

Seek shade when available. A good idea is to try and limit exposure to the sun during the peak period from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Protect yourself with light colored clothing, sunglasses, and wide brimmed hats. Use extra caution near reflective materials, such as water and sand. Above all, remember that you can still get a sunburn on those cloudy, hazy days.

Even when protected from the damaging rays of the sun, the heat itself can cause significant problems, such as heat stroke. Symptoms of heat stroke include thirst, dizziness, dry skin, headache and confusion. Appropriate methods of prevention focus on limiting exposure to heat and sun and increasing intake of fluids.

Do not wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking liquids. Fluid replacement is best done with drinks that do not contain alcohol, caffeine or excessive sugar. A rough guideline for fluid intake would be between two and four glasses of fluid per hour. People who are at the greatest risk of heat stroke are the very young (infants and small children) and older individuals. Other suggestions include staying in shady areas, planning activities in the morning or evening, or seeking air conditioned indoor venues.

One surefire way to stay cool during the summer months in Maine is to go to the local beach for a swim. Some of our local beaches do not have lifeguards on the premises. For example, Higgins Beach and Ferry Beach in Scarborough do not have lifeguards present. Scarborough Beach and Crescent Beach State Park both have lifeguards.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends adults provide “touch supervision” to swimming children. This means that the adult is no more than an arm’s length away from the swimming child. Even adults swimming benefit from a “buddy” system. We should all avoid swimming in fast moving water or in unfamiliar surroundings. When swimming in lakes, rivers and swimming holes, individuals are well advised to know the depth of the water and the presence of submerged obstacles prior to diving underwater.

Biking, skateboarding, unicycling and riding scooters are all fun ways to travel around one’s neighborhood. Wearing the appropriate protective gear turns a would-be concussion or abrasion into a less severe inconvenience. For all cyclists and scooter riders, properly fitting helmets and following the correct rules of the road are essential. Rollerbladers, unicyclists, and skateboarders should add knee pads, elbow and wrist guards to the ever-important helmet. The town of Scarborough has a skateboard park located behind Town Hall. These parks are more likely to be well constructed and monitored for safety.

Two ailments more closely associated with the summer months are Lyme disease and West Nile Virus. The common way of limiting your risk of these infections is to repel the pest that spreads the infection. Lyme disease is spread after a prolonged deer tick bite. West Nile virus is far less common and spread via mosquitoes. Luckily, the repellent of choice is the same for each. DEET is the common ingredient in most repellents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a 10 percent DEET solution on children older than two months of age. Do not put DEET on infants younger than two months. Even the 10 percent solution provides mosquito and tick repellent properties for up to two hours. Avoid applying around the eyes and hands of children. Adults can apply repellent to their hands first then apply the lotion to the child.

A more effective strength DEET for adults contains 20 to 30 percent. This repels mosquitoes and ticks for approximately four hours. Other preventive techniques are to wear long pants, light colored clothing and to tuck clothing into your socks. This limits the bare skin exposed to tick bites and mosquito bites. Performing tick checks daily is effective because transmission of Lyme disease rarely occurs from a tick bite of less than 24 hours duration.

The summer is a great opportunity to spend more time at the beach, outside hiking, or learning a new skill like unicycling or surfing. Remember to follow these safety tips to stay active and healthy. Most importantly though, remember to enjoy your summer to the fullest.

This summer the Scarborough Public Library will be continuing its summer reading program called “Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales.” Scarborough Wellness has created an adjunct program entitled “Body Smarts for All Your Parts.” This weekly program includes more safety, nutrition and physical activity tips.

This article written by Stephen Kirsch, a local physician, and brought to you by Scarborough Wellness: Local citizens promoting healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.