As people enjoy summer and venture into the many parks and forests in and around Centre County, it is important to prepare for some of the more common problems that can make an outdoor adventure less enjoyable.
BE PREPARED
“Be prepared” is the Boy Scout motto, and it is one of the best ways to avoid pitfalls and make the most of any hiking or camping trip. Foodborne illness, unfortunately, is more common when spending time in the outdoors, most often occurring when food is inappropriately stored. Packing food safely can minimize foodborne disease and keep everyone happy:
■ Pack each item in a tight, waterproof container, preferably in an insulated cooler.
■ Keep raw foods separate from cooked items and store at appropriate temperatures.
Along with food, clean water should be readily available for cooking and drinking. It can be carried on the trip, or by using any number of water purifying methods, such as boiling, chlorine tablets or specialized filtration.
BUGS — CONTROL THE PESTS
Insects are a common pest which can plague people outdoors in the spring and summer. Mosquitoes, ticks and stinging insects are the most common offenders and can carry infectious diseases, such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease.
■ Wear appropriate clothing to help prevent bites and stings: long sleeves and pants can help keep insects from biting; light-colored clothing helps to spot ticks.
■ Use an EPA-registered insect repellent for a safe and effective way to avoid bugs, as well. DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are a few of the readily available agents that tell bugs to head somewhere else. Treat clothes with permethrin 0.05 percent to help keep ticks and other bugs at bay.
■ Check for and remove ticks regularly and thoroughly after any outdoor activity to help drastically reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
SUN PROTECTION
Although it’s easy to spend the day in the shade of the forest, unless you’re out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. it’s good to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Whether the day is overcast or sunny, UV rays can cause skin cell inflammation, which can result in sunburn in the short-term and increased risk for skin cancer with repeated exposures. Avoiding exposure is the easiest way to prevent UV inflammation:
■ Keep out of the sun at the brightest time of the day.
■ Wear appropriate clothing for the activities planned.
■ Use a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 to protect skin, especially on the nose and ears.
Although enjoying the outdoors comes with several potential pitfalls, an understanding of safety and a little preparation helps prevent many of them. Centre County is a beautiful place no matter the season, and now is the time to get out and enjoy everything it has to offer.
Drs. Jonathan Adams and Christopher Heron are family medicine physicians with Penn State Medical Group in State College.
