Summer is in full swing, which means it's time for camping trips, backyard barbecues and more family fun.

But a painful sunburn, scraped knee or other small health crisis can bring a good time to a screeching halt. Here's how to get back to enjoying summer.   
 

               

Apply an ice cube or a cool compress. Then slather on a soothing remedy such as calamine lotion, vinegar or a paste of baking soda and water. Peppermint oil (or, in a pinch, peppermint toothpaste) also works well.

Dr. Carolyn DeMarco, a physician in Winlaw, B.C., who specializes in alternative health solutions, recommends using pure lavender oil to soothe the bite. If you react severely to bites, keep antihistamines or anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen) on hand. 

 

Reducing inflammation reduces itching. Antihistamines stop your body from producing histamine – the compound that fights off foreign substances in your body. Though histamine is usually a good thing, in the case of a bug bite, the blood it sends to the affected area makes the bite itchier.

 

You feel dizzy or nauseated; that could indicate a severe allergic reaction. 

 

               

A wasp injects venom into the body. Wasp stings benefit from a cold compress or ice pack, but your husband should also lie down and lower the part of his body that was stung. Antihistamines can be helpful if the sting continues to hurt.

               

Cooling the site of the bite helps stop the poison from spreading, as does lying down and keeping the stung area lower than the rest of the body. Simple gravity makes it harder for the poison to move into other parts of the body. 

                

He's been stung in the mouth or nose and he thinks the swelling may be blocking his airways. Take him to the emergency room immediately if he can't breathe properly, has a tightness in his throat or chest, is dizzy, breaks out in hives, faints, or is nauseous or vomiting. These symptoms could indicate an allergic reaction. 

Page 1 of 5 -- Find out how you can treat sunburns and waterlogged ears on page 2

               

Apply cool cloths or have your daughter take frequent cool (not cold) showers or baths. Dr. Rae Lake, a Toronto-based physician, says alcohol-free moisturizing lotions are also helpful. "They're all pretty much the same, so go for the cheapest. If you can get something with aloe, that's even better." If your daughter is in pain, you can give her acetaminophen or ibuprofen. And remember that sunburns can cause dehydration, so she should drink lots of water.

                

Lowering the body's temperature eases the heat of a sunburn. Peeling skin is inevitable, but lotions help relieve the itching and speed up the recovery. 

                

She's covered in blisters, she has a high fever or severe pain, or her burn hasn't calmed down after a few days.

 

               

Tip your head or use the corner of a towel or facecloth to wick out the water lodged in your ears, says Lake, who practises at Wellpoint Health Centre in Toronto. Don't use cotton swabs: They'll only force the water deeper into your ears and irritate the canal, he says. You can also try quickly poking a finger in and out of your ear or tilting your head while putting your palm over the affected ear and pushing in and out. If your ear is still waterlogged, a few drops of a solution made with one part five per cent white vinegar and one part 95 per cent isopropyl alcohol could do the trick.

                

Simple gravity encourages the water to drain. Putting a finger in your 

ear or using your palm creates a temporary vacuum that, when broken, allows the water to drain. The acid in the vinegar breaks down ear wax that may be trapping water in the ear canal, while the alcohol dries quickly, taking the water with it.

                

The water sits in your ear for more than three days. The skin in your ear will eventually break down because of the moisture, and that can lead to infection (called swimmer's ear).

               

Keep blinking to produce tears that naturally clean your eye. If you think something is still lurking, it might be under your upper eyelid. Wash your hands, then lift the lid and flush gently with cool water from a bottle, a water fountain or, if you're at home, a sink. 

                

Rubbing your eye is an automatic reaction, but you could be pushing a microscopic rock over your eye's tender tissues. Your eyes produce tears when they're irritated by foreign objects, and these tears act as a natural flusher.

                

You're unable to flush out your eye with water or the sand won't go away.

6. A case of diarrhea has left your son spending more time sprinting to the washroom than playing Frisbee with the family in the park.

               

To help your son with his diarrhea, focus on replacing his lost fluids and salts. That means lots of water and diluted juice, along with saltines and pretzels. Lake recommends introducing the tried-and-true BRAT diet – bananas, rice, applesauce and toast – after a day or so. Once your son is on the road to recovery, he can eat what the rest of the family is eating, but keep fried and sweet dishes to a minimum until you're sure his digestion is trouble-free.

 

The high sugar content in undiluted juice tends to aggravate diarrhea, while fried and fatty foods sit in the stomach. The idea is to let nature (ahem) run its course. 

        

His diarrhea is severe, or he's vomiting, won't drink enough liquids, is listless or is running a fever.   

               

Clean the blisters with soap and water, and expose them to air. Don't pop them and don't pull off the top layer of dead skin, because that could open the door to infection.

If a blister does pop or your son has to wear shoes, apply an antibacterial ointment and cover the blister with an adhesive bandage.

DeMarco says pure lavender oil doesn't just take the sting out of bug bites; it also heals blisters. "Lavender oil is the Swiss Army knife of essential oils," she says. "If you don't know what to use, go for lavender oil."

                

Air helps blisters dry out. The deflated top skin protects the blister as it heals and acts as a cellular bridge that allows new cells to heal the site. 

                

The blister refuses to heal within 10 days, is painful or is accompanied by redness, red streaks or pus.

 

               

Gently clean the scrape with warm water to remove any debris, and apply a topical antibiotic. DeMarco recommends lavender oil as well. She also suggests using 400 IU of vitamin E once the scrape is healing and dry. Simply break open a capsule and drip the contents onto your daughter's scrape. If possible, don't cover the wound.

                

Scrapes need to be kept clean to avoid infection, but covering them increases unwanted moisture when they need to dry out.

                

The scrape becomes more painful, swells, turns red or has a nasty discharge. Also see a doctor if your daughter is running a fever.

Page 4 of 5 -- For information about provincial 24-hour health lines and to uncover summer health myths, see page 5

Alberta: 1-866-408-5465

British Columbia: 1-800-661-4337

Manitoba: 1-800-782-2437 or 204-940-2200

Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-888-709-2929

New Brunswick: 1-877-784-1010

Northwest Territories: 1-888-255-1010

Nova Scotia: 1-800-566-2437

Nunavut: 867-975-5700

Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

Prince Edward Island: 902-368-4947

Quebec: 811

Saskatchewan: 1-877-800-0002

Yukon: 811

 

Old wives aren't always right. Here are five common myths.

 

Myth: Wait an hour after you eat to go swimming.

Fact: This is not necessary. 

 

Myth: Put butter on a burn.

Fact: Butter holds in the heat and can cause infection.

 

Myth: Stand on one leg while shaking the other to get rid of water in your ear.
Fact: Don't try this unless you want to look like a clown. 

 

Myth: Put raw steak on a black eye. 

Fact: Your eye could become contaminated by bacteria in the meat. Use an ice pack instead.

 

Myth: Clean a scrape with iodine, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol. 

Fact: All of these can actually cause tissue damage and impede skin's healing.
                                               

This story was originally titled "Quick Fixes for Summer Mishaps" in the August 2012 issue.              Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

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