Summer Health Threats: Should You Be Concerned?

May 19, 2009 · Filed Under · 2 Comments 

Summer has really arrived like a punch in the gut here in Northern California. Temps hovering around triple digits for the last few days. So when I saw Ew! 6 Unhygienic Summer Health Threats, from ABC News, I just had to share. I know it has been a while since I posted as nothing really sparked my interest….until now. So with no further-ado here is the list of 6 summer threats followed by some critique from yours truly.

summereat

  1. Peeing In Pools, or Worse - The story says 17% of folks pee in the pool. Not sure if this means 17% pee in the pool every time they enter or in a lifetime. The story also does not clarify peeing while in the pool or standing outside of the pool and letting it rip.  Hmmmm…..  TIP: Stay away from in-pool bars, you know those guys drinking beer all day in the pool are not exiting when nature calls.
    The story goes on to say that fecal matter is the biggest health risk. Protect yourself by not swimming when you have diarrhea. And on a related note, don’t swallow pool water. Also, take your kids on bathroom breaks and check diapers often. Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Wash your children thoroughly with soap and water before they go swimming. Yeah, right.
  2.  Undercooked Meat – This one is a bit tricky for me. There is nothing worse than overcooked meat. But the key number here is 160, as in 160 degrees. This is the temperature that kills all bacteria.
  3. Sand, Soil and Germs Outdoors - This one is ridiculous as the story talks about ticks and salmonella from reptiles. These have nothing to do with sand and soil, but rather weeds, hiking, and plants. Common sense stuff that humans have been dealing with effectively for 1000’s of years. Just wash kids hands regularly. Moving right along…
  4. Freshwater Parasites – The key to this one is NOT to drink the water you play and swim in. Simple enough. The risks from drinking such water is E. coli and other bacteria.
  5. Outdoor Eating – Picnics have ants and flies, that is just reality. Yes, we all know where flies were before they landed on your potato salad. But at the same time, we have all ate at hundreds of picnics with flies landing on the food yet how many of us have ever gotten sick? None that I know of. I have something called white cells and an immune system. It is gross though, no doubt about that.
  6. Leaving Cold Food Out - Mayo has gotten a bad rap over time. By itself, it can sit out “because mayonnaise made with lemon juice or vinegar” is not a breeding ground for bacteria because it is such an acidic, low pH environment. Now there is some news we can use. Although, I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat coleslaw that has sat out during the entire family softball game….

Now go enjoy your summer and stay healthy!

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Comments

2 Responses to “Summer Health Threats: Should You Be Concerned?”

  1. RAchel on May 21st, 2009 7:53 am

    Kyle – saw your post on summer activities with kids, as posted by FrugalNet. May I suggest finding a hobby yourself, that you can then share iwth your kids? My husband started making sourdough bread, which is a) a cheap hobby, and b) we all benefit from, and c) he enjoys. Music-oriented? Craft-oriented? Nature-oriented? What do YOU like to do? The biking sounds great.
    Dont’ forget to take apart dead appliances with your kids. My son loves doing this.

  2. Kyle on May 21st, 2009 8:25 am

    Hi Rachel, thanks for coming by and commenting! Great advice as well. You are right, getting the kids involved in what I like to do is great. Biking, golf, playing guitar and any kind of music are at the top of my list!

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