Taking Care Outdoors
|
Summertim  e means picnics, cookouts, sporting events and other outdoor activities. It also means health hazards related to these warm weather activities, including exposure to ticks and mosquitoes. Of the many diseases spread by insects, few are actually caused by the insects themselves, but rather by other organisms such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa that are passed on when insects feed or bite.
There are no vaccines available to protect against the vector-borne diseases. The only way to protect yourself is to avoid exposure by following the tips suggested below.
- Perform daily tick checks on yourself, your children and your pets.
- Safely remove ticks by gently pulling them straight up out of the skin using tweezers, until all parts of the tick are removed.
- Use chemical repellent with DEET or permethrin.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved, light-colored protective clothing to keep ticks off of you and make any of them easier to spot.
- Remove areas of standing water around your home, where mosquitoes can breed.
Learn more about common vector-borne diseases in and around the northeast. |
| August Is Cataract Awareness Month |
|
A cataract is an area of cloudiness on the lens of the eye. According to the National Eye Institute, more than 20 million people in the U.S. over age 40 have cataracts. That number is expected to grow as the population ages.
Symptoms include:
- Cloudy or blurry vision
- Problems with light, including:
- Headlights that seem too bright at night
- Glare from lamps or very bright sunlight
- A halo around lights
- Colors seem faded
- Poor night vision
- Frequent changes in your eyeglass or contact lens prescription
These symptoms can also be a sign of other eye problems. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your eye care professional immediately.
The good news is that cataract surgery is very safe. Read more about cataracts and how they are treated. |
For information about our wide range of services please visit us on the Web at www.lahey.org. From everyone at Lahey Clinic we wish you a happy and healthy summer!
This message provides general health information. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained directly from a physician.
|
