Summer health, concern for students

As students prepare to depart Keene State College for summer vacation, the Center for Health and Wellness warns students about the health risks associated with the season.
According to Christine Burke, head of the Center of Health and Wellness, sun is a major concern when it comes to the summer months.

“The issue of sun exposure is important. There is a need for sun block, and making sure you’re covered up appropriately,” Burke said.

“There’s a lot of clothing that has SPF factors in it. We also recommend limiting your exposure to the sun between the hours of 11 and 2; because that’s when the sun is the strongest,” she said.

According to Google Heath, some of the many causes of Melanoma, a harmful kind of skin cancer, are high levels of exposure to strong sunlight and three or more blistering sunburns before age 20.

Burke has two recommendations for the prevention of this and other sun-related problems.
“Use sunblock all the time, on top of that covering up as much skin as possible is also recommended,” Burke said.

Burke does have some positive outlook on the fears of sun damage.
“I feel that this generation has been sun blocked to death. That’s kind of the norm for them, as opposed to when I was little and we would put on baby oil to go lay out in the sun,” Burke said.

Beyond sun damage, Burke warned of the danger of bugs and ticks during the summer months.

“Fleas and ticks are out in forces, so the issue of lime disease is serious,” Burke said.
Along with the presence of these pests, comes associated illnesses.

“There are issues of diseases associated with bugs. You need to always use repellent especially if you are out after dusk, that’s when they are out mostly,” Burke said.
During the summer months, lime disease poses a serious concern particularly for those who spend large periods of time outside.

“If you’re doing activities out in the woods, you’re going to be more likely to get ticks. I think sometimes they are hard to see as well. Deer ticks, that are more likely to carry lime disease, are very small. So doing tick checks when you come inside is important,” Burke said.

Another health threat is that of the EEE and west Nile viruses that are both associated with mosquitoes.

“Instances of those illnesses aren’t very common and tend to arise later in the summer. Beyond bug repellent, keeping your yard free of standing water is key to keeping the mosquito population down,” Burke said.

While insects, arachnids and the sun cause a lot of summer related health concerns, Burke would like to remind students to keep up healthy habits over the summer.

“There are other things people should keep in mind like heat exposure and staying hydrated. This is the time of year that it’s easier for people to stay active and exercise. I like to remind people that it’s important to keep up their healthy habits year round,” Burke said.

Stuart Ross can be contacted at sross@keeneequinox.com