Top Survival Tips for 5 Common Summer Hazards

Summer is almost here and so is the urge to throw caution to the wind now that we no longer have deal with snow and ice and biting temperatures. Yet despite the feelings of lax security that warm weather brings, there are still hazards that require our attention – different kinds of danger not seen during the Canadian winter months. Let’s take a look at some of these seasonal hazards and what we can do to prevent unwanted health impacts.

1. Prevent a Stroke or Heart Attack on the Golf Course or Tennis Court

In the past five years I’ve witnessed several heart attacks and strokes occurring at my tennis club during the summer months. I’m sure that this is also happening on golf courses. In 1977, Bing Crosby died of a massive heart attack just after playing a round of golf.

One of the main reasons why this tends to be a summer-related occurrence is chronic dehydration. A person loses much more water on hot summer days and, without adequate and regular hydration during sports of almost any kind, dehydration is the inevitable result. This water deficiency makes a person’s blood more likely to get sticky and form clots, which in turn elevates the blood pressure, thus producing blockages in arteries that then lead to strokes and heart attacks.

To prevent strokes and heart attacks, drink at least a litre of good quality water every hour while on the golf course or tennis court. And a multi-mineral capsule or a drink rich in magnesium, calcium, and potassium is also important if sports activities are carried out over many hours (like in golf). These minerals are necessary to prevent cramps and muscle damage due to the mineral depletion that often accompanies dehydration. Drinking filtered mineral water every 10 to 15 minutes is one approach that can be easily adopted by tennis and golf enthusiasts.

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”  ~ William Shakespeare

2. Prevent Lyme Disease Infection from Deer Ticks

The spread of Lyme disease is causing growing concern in many parts of Canada. It’s caused by a bite from an infected deer tick (black legged tick) that carries the bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi. Bites from deer ticks will inject this bacterium into the bloodstream, creating the infection dubbed ‘Lyme’.

It’s important to dress defensively if you want to prevent Lyme. When venturing into wooded areas, wear a hat and light-coloured clothing. This will make it easier for you to find ticks before they find your skin. Tuck your shirt into your pants, and your pants into your socks, to further block out ticks. You may look geeky but your skin will not be exposed to these insects. Avoid tall grass and dense shrubbery because these are the places where ticks are most likely to find you, even in the city.

After being outdoors, check your body for ticks at least every 36 hours because this is the length of time that ticks need to feed on your body in order to infect you with Lyme. Look for black spots and ask someone to look on your back, scalp, and other areas out of your view. If you find any ticks, use tick removal spoons that can be purchased at most pet stores.

Use lemon eucalyptus oil to spray on your clothing to repel ticks. Avoid commercial bug repellents with potentially toxic chemicals that can poison your nervous system. If you do get bitten, use tweezers or a tick removal tool to remove the tick, then wipe the area with a natural antiseptic such as oregano oil, tea tree oil, or colloidal silver, and use a permanent marker to circle the area. If redness, inflammation, or a rash develops, seek medical attention immediately. Check the bite location daily for several days to watch for any unusual developments.

Lyme disease is curable with antibiotics if caught in the early stage. If an infection is left to progress, recovery from Lyme infection can be long and difficult. The conventional approach which uses antibiotics can cause numerous side effects because of the resulting destruction of friendly bacteria in the patient’s gut. Natural alternatives for treatment include intravenous vitamin C, colloidal silver in nano-particles, oil of oregano, curcumin, berberine and probiotics.

There have been some reports and a study suggesting that Lyme can be sexually transmitted. However, there is no universal agreement on this finding, and so far the Minister of Health has not advised anyone to stop having sex in the summer.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”  ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”

3. Prevent Bites from Bugs Without Using Chemicals

One can use many of the same strategies for preventing insect bites that are used for Lyme disease prevention. Eucalyptus oil and Citronella are good insect repellents. And although unproven by science, taking large doses of a good B-complex vitamin has been a boon for some of my patients. One individual in my practice tells me he takes 500 mg of a B-complex daily when venturing out into the woods. I’ve tried this myself and can attest to the effectiveness of this strategy, as it seems to create an odour in the breath and bloodstream that insects find repugnant.

“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change.”   ~ E.B. White, “Charlotte’s Web”

4. Get the Best from Summer Sun Exposure

Melanoma is the most serious of all the skin cancers, yet ironically it rarely begins on areas of the body exposed to direct sunlight. Most melanoma cases occur on areas of the body not directly exposed to sunlight.

So, please don’t be sun phobic and in fear of melanoma because of all the media propaganda and questionable dermatologist advice about sunscreens. I recommend avoiding all commercial sunscreens. Some of these products are loaded with toxic substances that are associated with a greater cancer risk.

Additionally, the chemical sunscreens can prevent your skin from manufacturing vitamin D. In fact, I see many cases of vitamin D deficiency in the summer that have a direct link to excessive use of sunscreens. We are creating a nation of vitamin D-deficient people by perpetuating so much propaganda about the ‘dangers’ of sunshine and the brainwashing nonsense that we should all be using cancer-causing sunscreens.

Carcinogenic sunblock chemicals to avoid include:

Oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate, Octyl-methoxycinnamate, Butyl-Methdiebenzoylmethane, Benzophenone 2 (BP2).

(Editor’s note: Titanium dioxide is considered by some as a safe ingredient, and by others as toxic. We feel it falls on the generally safe side of the spectrum when used in small amounts.)

Benefits and Tips About Solar Medicine:

Natural light from the sun is a nutrient that we all need, not just to make vitamin D, but also to protect us against cancer, infections, and multiple mental symptoms like depression. Why do you think people use full spectrum lights during the winter to alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder? UV rays from the sun are therapeutic. We can all get our sunshine dose safely by venturing into the UV rays on a gradual basis in summer. Just be careful to not get burned from excessive exposure too quickly.

Start your first day of sun bathing with five minutes of exposure, and then increase daily by five to ten minutes until you are lightly tanned. This gradual increase in exposure to UV rays causes a build-up of melanin in the skin, which will help to protect you from burns and allow you to spend longer periods outdoors without any concern. Of course, wear a hat and sunglasses to prevent brain and eye damage, but please expose as much skin as you feel is comfortable once you’ve turned a little pink, then tanned. Any skin redness from sun exposure is a signal for you that it’s time to get out of the sun.

If you get a sunburn, use aloe vera gel. You can just squeeze the juice straight out of an aloe plant for immediate burn relief. Cover up in the sun until all that redness clears. If you must spend hours at a time in the sun because of your work and want to prevent burns, use zinc oxide cream on your most exposed skin surfaces (nose, ears, shoulders, etc.).

Sunlight is a good cancer fighter, not only because it helps manufacture vitamin D but also because it helps zap cancer cells that may be floating in the bloodstream. (See the list of research references at end of this article.)

Sunlight kills bacteria. It can disinfect and heal wounds. Virtually all skin rashes, especially acne and psoriasis, benefit from direct sunlight to the affected areas of the skin. Ask anyone when their acne and psoriasis is better and just about all will name summer as their best time.

“Summer means happy times and good sunshine. It means going to the beach, going to Disneyland, having fun.”  ~ Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)

5. Explore Natural Treatments for Summer Allergies

Spring and summer allergies, especially to pollen, grasses, and trees are a cash-cow for the pharmaceutical industry that sells the public ever-increasing amounts of antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, a variety of asthma puffers, as well as decongestants.

I’ve often noticed, however, that allergy symptoms of all kinds (such as runny nose, sneezing, sinus congestion, and wheezing) can get much better over time through the avoidance of sugar, dairy products, corn, and grains (especially wheat). In addition to eliminating such trigger foods from your diet, here are strategies and natural supplements to help you find fast relief.

Strategies for Natural Relief from Allergies

• Increase intake of raw fruits and vegetables for their live, anti-inflammatory, enzyme content;

• Eat more immune system-boosting foods like garlic, onions, horseradish, citrus, carrots, greens, cayenne, or other hot peppers as tolerated;

• Use one or a combination of the following nutrients, depending on which are found to be the most effective in each individual circumstance:

– STINGING NETTLES: 1 – 2 capsules every 4 hours as needed (reduces mucous and nasal congestion);

– CAYENNE: 1-2 capsules every 4 hours as needed (this is a mild stimulant to the beta receptors; enhances the release of adrenalin from adrenal glands to open breathing passages);

– BROMELAIN (pineapple enzyme): 250 mgs., 3 or more times daily (for its anti-inflammatory effects);

– PANTOTHENIC ACID (vitamin B5): 500 mgs., 3 or more times daily (aids in the formation of hormones, deflecting stress and allergic reactions);

– VITAMIN C: at bowel tolerance doses of 6,000 mgs. or more (produces a natural antihistaminic effect);

– QUERCETIN (a bioflavonoid): 500 mgs., 3 or more times daily (stabilizes mast cell membranes and prevents histamine release; reduces pro-inflammatory hormones – prostaglandins – in the body)

– PYCNOGENOL (pine bark extract) or grape seed extract: 150 – 300 mgs. daily (prevents histamine release, thereby reducing all the adverse effects of histamine, not just their effects on target cells);

– N-ACETYL-CYSTEINE: 1000 mgs., 3 or more times daily (works as an immune-supportive amino acid that boosts the level of the antioxidant glutathione and dissolves excessive mucous (mucolytic));

– MSM: 1000 mgs., 3 times daily (provides physiological amounts of sulfur the body needs to fight inflammation and allergies);

– Bee pollen: 1-2 tsp. daily (appears to be an effective allergy treatment as well).

• Allergies can also be treated homeopathically but most people will need professional advice from a homeopath.

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.”   ~ Henry David Thoreau

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