Spring is here! This is the perfect time to push your kids outdoors for better physical and mental health. That said, spring also brings with it tics, mosquitos, and UV radiation! Today I will talk about sunscreen, mosquito protection, and helmets.
Sunscreen is vital to protecting your skin while outside. Exposure to sunlight when you are young has a profound impact on your health later. Some studies show up to 50% of wrinkles on 40-50 year olds could have been prevented with appropriate use of sunscreen. As I look down to my hands while typing this, I wish I had done a better job! Skin cancer is also one of the fastest growing cancers in the US, and unfortunately happens at younger ages than many other cancers. That said, studies show kids do not worry about getting skin cancer, but they are terrified of looking old! It is best to use broad spectrum sunscreens, spf 30 or higher, and to use the creams/lotions as opposed to the spray sunscreens. Ever since the sprays became popular, our office has seen a large increase in second degree sunburn. The fine print on the spray sunscreen is that you have to rub it into the skin - but nobody does that. The whole point of using the spray for most people is to not have to rub it in. Keep it old school - use the creams and lotions at least every 90 minutes, sooner if you are in water!
Biking, push scooters, skateboards are all great exercise, but the reality is you are going to fall at some point. Biking fatalities in the US jumped over 14% in the last 3 years, which is a scary statistic. Many of these deaths are preventable. Bike helmets have been shown to decrease brain damage by 80% and facial injuries by 60%. I tell my patients all the time, if you fall off your bike and break your arm, it will be sad, but someone will be able to fix it, but if you break your brain or eye, that damage will be permanent. Kids will protest, and often say two things. First, they will say they are careful and they don’t fall, but make sure to remind them that even if they are incredibly careful (which they are not) the driver texting while coming around the corner is not being careful. The other is that teens will think helmets are for “little kids” but as high school physics teaches, force = mass x acceleration, so a high-school kid moving 20 mph is going to have way more impact than a preschooler going 3 mph.
Bugs! Ticks and mosquitos are a reality for anyone spending time outside. Ticks and mosquitoes can transmit many different illnesses like Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and most of these illnesses can be prevented with DEET. The key is to make sure the percent DEET is enough to work. Most of the products marketed as “family DEET” are way too low to work for more than a couple of minutes, but 25-40% DEET is the sweet spot to work for 4-6 hours and still be safe for children if used as directed. Many families try chemical-free bug repellents, but the data is clear that DEET is effective.
Bug spray also prevents staph infections! How you ask? Good question! Every summer I have dozens of patients make appointments for what they think are spider bites. So far none of them have been the falsely accused spiders, but staph infections from infected mosquito bites. How do they get infected? From the staph germs in the patient's fingernails, digging the germ into the skin where the mosquito bit them. How did the staph get onto the patient’s fingernails? We often pick up those germs from touching our faces. So, not getting bug bites helps us to not scratch and get ourselves infected with what can be a very serious infection!
Hope this helps summer go a little smoother!
Until next time, good luck parenting!
William J. Fisher, MD
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