How to handle common holiday health hazards
Essential tips for gashes, infections, breaks and sprains.
It’s summer and time to hit the beach! In December South Africans migrate en masse to holiday hotspots to soak up the sun and enjoy some well-deserved fun. But, while taking a break may be high on everyone’s agenda, it’s also wise to plan ahead for the party and be prepared for any health hiccups that can, and probably will, turn a lekker jol into a holiday nightmare – and empty your bank balance to boot.
It’s best to get your ducks in a row before leaving the house. Alongside an essential First Aid kit equipped with plasters, bandages, antiseptic, headache tablets and eye drops, have health insurance in place too. So suggests Sister Diana Sharp from Essential Med, providers of customised health care cover.
“Cuts, headaches, bruises and bites can be self-medicated. Gashes, infections, breaks and sprains require professional care,” says Sister. Here, she rounds-up common holiday health hazards and how to handle them:
More than an itchy bite: That incessant buzzing at 3am is part of the holidays. So while a mozzie bite won’t kill you, a snake or spider might. On the East coast puffies and rattlesnakes are common – they love sun too. If you’re bitten by one of these crawling creatures, don’t hang around, phone an ambulance or get to the nearest emergency room on the double.
It burns, baby, it burns: With the mercury melting under the strain of the midday sun, severe sunburn is a very real possibility for everyone in the family. Extended periods of exposure to high temperatures could lead to heat stroke, hypothermia, dehydration and hospitalisation. After-sun won’t do. If you experience thirst, reduced urine and dizziness, hot foot it to the nearest emergency room for assessment and appropriate treatment.
More than an ear ache: Kids have an uncanny ability to pick up an ear infection just as you’re all packed and ready to leave the house. They’ll need antibiotics to clear it up. A visit to your nearest GP will sort you out. Leaving it may mean the difference between 8 hours of sleep or none.
Drinking and moving objects: It’s party season let’s not forget; alcohol will be flowing as will stupidity. We all know drinking and boarding a jet ski or getting behind the wheel is a big no-no, always, but things happen on holiday. Besides strong coffee to sober up, if there are more than bruises and headaches to tend to, it’s off to the emergency room – just make sure the driver hasn’t been at the beers too.
If you give them wheels….Kids love things that move and skateboards, bicycles and hover boards are popular presents. While your 10-year old may know what to do, your 40-year husband may not. Be on standby to whizz Dad off to the closest emergency room after a nasty fall. The kids can write on his cast afterwards.
Hazards of the sea: Water is a magnet for holiday makers but poses a number of threats. Boogie board crashes, poisonous jellyfish and reds coral are just a few to be aware of. If you do get stung, douse the affected area with hot water, first prize but some ice works almost as well.
Bottles of beer to bring in the New Year: Everyone loves sand between their toes. But on New Year’s Eve when wine and beer bottles cover the beach, walking bare foot is not for the faint-hearted. If you gash your foot, clean the wound with water and make sure that there are no pieces of glass left in the cut. Put a clean bandage on, but keep an eye on the bleeding. If it doesn’t stop quickly, you may have to put a pause to the party and find an emergency room.
In an effort to equip South Africans with affordable health care on holiday, Essential Med has created On Call – a handy phone directory of local GPs and private hospitals in popular hotspots including Mossel Bay and Knysna, Hartenbos, PE, Margate and Ballito, Eastern Cape, Hermanus and Strand.
“Print it out and add to your First Aid kit or save in your phone’s favourites. You never know when you may need it,” concludes Sister.
For more information visit www.essentialmed.co.za or to download the On Call cards.
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