Most Common Summer Illnesses and How to Avoid Them

• 1. Lyme Disease

  Lyme Disease is a big one in the summer. Lyme disease is transmitted through tick bites, which are often living in areas with tall grass or the woods. Some common symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache and a bullseye rash. To help avoid getting tick bites, try to avoid areas with tall grass and wooded areas; wear long sleeves and pants outside; use insect repellent; and look for ticks on your skin and remove them if you find them.

  

• Food Poisoning

  Food poisoning is super prevalent in the summer. Just think about it. If you go to a picnic, chances are, that potato salad is going to be left out in the sun a long time. So, beware what you eat at outdoor events. Also, be clean with how you handle food, cook food thoroughly, wash your hands when handling food and don’t have perishable foods unrefrigerated for too long.

  

• Dehydration

  Dehydration can really be serous. It sounds like no big deal, but severe dehydration can actually lead to death. Don’t freak out too much, though. Severe dehydration usually happens if you are vomiting or have diarrhea for an extended time. In the summer months, however, being outside in the hot sun for too long and not drinking enough can lead to dehydration. Drink plenty of water. If you’re working out, sports drinks are a good choice, too.

  

• Colds

  You don’t just get a cold when it’s cold out. “Some viruses and other bacteria thrive under the extreme heat of the sun, thus increasing your risk of infection,” notes unilab.com.ph. To avoid spreading it, “Always cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze and dispose your tissues in the right receptacle.”

  

• Flu

  The flu often ticks up in the winter, but it’s around in the summer, too. Often times, if people are traveling and in close areas, the flu virus can spread. To avoid it, the CDC suggests to get vaccinated, practice good hand hygiene and avoid close contact with sick people.

  

  Getty Images / Paul-Bradbury

• Enterovirus

  Enterovirus is commonly called the “summer flu.” It can cause fever, coughing, runny nose and nausea. It can also cause a rash, like with hand-foot-and-mouth disease. To prevent it, as always, good hygiene is key.

  

  Getty Images / Dr_Microbe

• More tips to avoid getting sick

  “Frequent hand washing and avoiding exposure to people who are sick with fever can help prevent the spread of infection,” Dr. Michael Pichichero, a pediatrician and infectious disease researcher at the Rochester General Hospital Research Institute in New York, tells Newsinhealth.nih.gov. Dr. Pichichero adds that the best way to avoid getting sick is to block viral transmission. You can get sick by coming into direct contact with an infected person’s respiratory secretions, such as saliva or mucus, so the frequent hand washing really helps. Also, protect yourself from the sun and beware of picnics where food that’s left out in the sun can go bad.