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July is Summer Safety Month

 

Cindy Shook, Teen Health Connection Family Nurse Practitioner  

 

School's out and summer is in full swing! No tests, schedules, or practice means more time on the hands of teens and their families. Summer is a time full of outdoor activities, holiday celebrations and time spent at the pool or beach. Here at Teen Health Connection, we strive to keep you healthy and successful. For the month of July our focus is "Summer Safety". Here are some tips to keep you safe and healthy this summer:

  • Fireworks - Bottle rockets, firecrackers, and even sparklers can be dangerous. Severe burns, blindness, and even death are possible if handled improperly. Who knew that even sparklers (even little children can safely handle those, right?...wrong!) heat to above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause severe injuries.
    • Tip: Enjoy public fireworks displays rather than using fireworks at home or always leave the lighting to responsible adults only!
  • Bugs - Insects/mosquitoes may breed in puddles of water. They can carry viruses that can make you very sick and in rare cases lead to death. Bee stings and mosquito bites (the most common in summer) can cause redness, swelling, and pain!
    • Tip: Avoid areas where insects are likely to nest: stagnant pools of water, uncovered food, and gardens where flowers may be in bloom. Use repellents containing DEET and avoid wearing bright colors. When hiking or playing in the woods, wear pants and long-sleeved shirts.
  • Water safety - Three children die every day as a result of drowning (CDC, 2015). Whether you are swimming, jet skiing, or boating, you are putting yourself in danger if you don't follow simple safety rules.
    • Tip: Learn to swim, wear a properly fitting life jacket when on the water, and never horse around in a lake or pool. Check in your community for CPR classes. You could save someone's life.
  • Heat stroke - Outdoor sports (or play) in hot weather can lead to heat stroke. The first symptom is leg cramps caused by losing electrolytes, followed by headache, dizziness, rapid pulse and red, hot, and dry skin.
    • Tip: Take a break and cool off. Drink fluid until the above symptoms go away. If symptoms continue, you may use ice packs on the groin, armpits and neck or take a cool shower. Seek shade whenever possible.

From all of us at Teen Health Connection, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy summer break!

 

AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), 2015                            

National Safety Council, 2015

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015

Youth Drug Free Coalition Summer Series


Because the summer is a particularly high-risk time for adolescent substance use, the Youth Drug Free Coalition is sending out Smart Summer Messages each week until school starts back. The messages encourage parents and community members to keep teens safe during the summer months. You can visit our website to read each message or click here to view the first Smart Summer Series Message.

Text Messaging Campaign

The Teen Health Connection Text Campaign sends bi-monthly health and safety text messages. You can enroll by clicking on one of the phones below.   
 

Welcome Pediatric Resident
The Department of Pediatrics at Carolinas Medical Center and Levine Children's Hospital offers a fully accredited 3 year pediatric medical resident training program.  Teen Health Connection is fortunate to serve as the adolescent-specific medical rotation for the residents.  This month, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Annemarie Neal. Dr. Neal received her medical degree from USC.
Please forward our e-newsletter to your friends, sign up for our text messaging campaign, like us on  Facebook and visit our website to read about what we are doing each month. You can also follow us on Instagram at Teen Health Connection or on Twitter. Teen Health Connection appreciates our community partners and families.  We believe that together we can make a difference for adolescents in our community.  

 


It is through the support of our individual, community and corporate partners that Teen Health Connection empowers every adolescent to be healthy, safe and successful.

  Healthy Hydration 
Thank you to Coca Cola for donating 20 cases of Dasani Water for our team to promote healthy hydration this month with our patients.
Staying hydrated during the heat of the summer months is critical to staying healthy.
Beach Safety 

This summer more shark attacks continue to be reported along the North and South Carolina coast. Though you are far more likely to be injured in a car accident driving to the beach than to ever even see a shark in the ocean, it is still important to be smart while swimming. Experts say to avoid wearing shiny jewelry and to never swim at dusk. Shark bites are believed to be a result of prey identification mistakes which happen later during the day and early evening.  The American Red Cross is another great resource for Beach Safety tips.
Parenting with Love and Logic 
Mental health clinician, Betsy Thompson spoke with Time Warner Cable News about how parents should be having conversations with their teens about alcohol and drug use. She said how parents are fortunate to have a free resource like the Parenting the Love and Logic Way class to provide them tools for having those difficult but important conversations. You can enroll in one of our classes here.
Vans Warped Tour   

The Teen Health Connection team is heading to the Vans Warped Tour on Tuesday, July 7th to distribute health and safety information to teen concertgoers. If you know anyone attending the all-day concert send them to our tent to receive free health promotion material. 
 THANK YOU
 
Teen Health Connection would like to thank the many volunteers, funders and community partners who dedicate their time and talent to this organization.  Because of the commitment from so many valued partners and friends, the team at Teen Health Connection can continue to empower every adolescent to be healthy, safe and successful.