Feature Channels: Summer

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As both a mother and a pharmacist, Abby Yancey, Pharm.D., researched what was in her children's sunscreen. The results were surprising.

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Summer travel isn’t for vacation alone. For some people, it may include a trip to an out-of-town hospital for surgery. If you are traveling for chest surgery, you may wonder whether it is safer to return home by car or plane. A new Mayo Clinic study found that, contrary to conventional wisdom, air travel is just as safe as ground travel after chest surgery, and there is often no reason to wait for weeks after an operation to fly home. Lead study author Stephen Cassivi, M.D. , a Mayo Clinic thoracic surgeon, offers these five tips for safer, more comfortable travel home after surgery:

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Mount Sinai Health System Experts Offer Important Tips on Having a Healthy and Safe Memorial Day Holiday

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A new study from the University of Iowa reports Iowa's air quality falls within government guidelines for cleanliness, based on data gathered at five locations statewide. The study analyzed air quality and pollution sources in the state and is the first to compare air quality in urban versus rural areas. Results appear in the journal Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts.

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UAB emergency physicians offer tips on coping with one of the biggest summer health threats - bugs!

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There is nothing better on a hot, summer day than a refreshing dip in a community pool, water park, lake or ocean. However, bacteria and parasites can lurk in all kinds of water and put a real damper on summertime fun unless people practice a few, simple safety tips.

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In an advance toward providing mosquito-plagued people, pets and livestock with an invisibility cloak against these blood-sucking insects, scientists today described discovery of substances that block mosquitoes’ ability to smell and target their victims. The presentation was among almost 7,000 scheduled this week at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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The Midwest is experiencing the highest mold count for the 2013 allergy reporting season. Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official allergy count for the Midwest, reports the mold count today is 35,000, a high for 2013, but well under the 50,000 threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning.

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Vacations are supposed to be restful, but as we head into the peak season, a psychologist cautions that vacation travel also can pose risks to your mental and physical health.

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Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center want to give tips to parents and guardians on how they can keep their kids safe during the hot weather.

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Emergency and critical care veterinarians at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, one of the busiest academic veterinary teaching hospitals in the country, have put together a list of their top tips for a safe, fun season with your pet.

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A backyard fireworks display may look pretty and get family and friends excited, but when it comes to lighting fireworks, leave it to the professionals, Mayo Clinic physicians are advising. Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors see dozens of patients who have lost fingers and limbs, gotten severe burns and suffered hearing loss as a direct result of using fireworks. Even seemingly harmless fireworks – such as sparklers – can cause severe burns and even blindness.

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Vanderbilt specialists are urging parents and children to leave the fireworks displays to the experts this Fourth of July. Children are often seen at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for a variety of injuries, including serious damage to eyes from bottle rockets, third-degree burns related to the use of sparklers, and trauma, often of the hands, from explosive fireworks.

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Hot and humid temperatures across the Southeast may leave people feeling lethargic, but conditions are perfect for active ticks and mosquitoes. Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt pediatricians want children and parents to be aware of the dangers of tick-borne illnesses and other insect-related Infections.

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As American as apple pie are violence and shootings. Thomas Esposito, MD, MPH, Chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center says “On Father’s Day weekend there were 47 people shot and nine killed while Memorial Day saw 11 shot and six killed, in Chicago alone -- far more than those killed in traffic incidents over both holidays around the city.”

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Montefiore expert provides tips to avoid common summertime maladies.

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Bugs, dehydration, sunburn, diarrhea and more are addressed by Deepti Shivakumar, MD, family physician at Loyola's Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.

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Al fresco dining is one of the great pleasures of warm weather. Whether you’re hosting a neighborhood barbecue or an intimate dinner party on your deck, outdoor dining is a great way to savor good food, company and the great outdoors. To ensure your meals are safe and enjoyable, it’s important to know how to prepare, transport and store food for outdoor eating.

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People express patriotism differently, a Kansas State University researcher says, and even Americans who may not agree with current political and government leaders can celebrate the Fourth of July.

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Expert from The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Shares Sun, Water and Outdoor Activity Advice.

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Even the most fit gym rat needs to take steps to avoid heat injury, especially heat stroke says Stacey Snelling, associate dean of American University's School of Education, Teaching and Health.

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With temperatures in the 80s, the last thing anyone wants is a runny nose and constant sneezing to put a damper on vacation plans and outdoor festivals. While many blame their symptoms on a summer cold, it could be something much more. Summer allergies can strike at any age, mimicking a cold.

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Suggestions for summer diets, exercise and de-stressing are offered by Baylor experts.

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Injuries to people swimming at the beach are more common and severe than previously documented, according to a recent study by the Delaware Sea Grant College Program and Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del.

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Heat-related illnesses disproportionately affect the elderly and the first heatwave of the season can have a particularly acute impact. A geriatrician explains why and lists steps to keep elderly neighbors and relatives safe.

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Drowning is the leading cause of injury, death in young children; a UAB expert shared simple steps to prevent accidents.

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Many people consider them an essential accessory of summer, but the simple sandals known as flip-flops simply aren’t a good fit for every activity.

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Prom season and summer approach, and with them teenage girls seeking suntans. New research published in the May issue of Pediatrics finds that the number of children diagnosed with melanoma has increased an average 2% a year since the 1970s.

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Montefiore Dermatologist Urges Year-Round Skin Protection for People of Color

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With warmer weather come opportunities to wear shorts and swimsuits, and many focus on weight loss; these diet and exercise tips from experts can help.

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The spring allergy season has been underway for several weeks in many parts of the country – but soon after the tree pollen settles, the grass pollen will surface.

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Montefiore Expert Offers Tips on Prevention and Early Detection for May’s National Melanoma Awareness Month

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Spending time in the water is a great way for kids to get exercise and cool off during the summer, but without taking the proper safety measures, hazards could be lurking around the pool. There are several precautions adults can take to make sure children are safe in and near water.

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Summer can mean more than just an increase in temperatures, humidity and outdoor physical activity. It can also mean an increased risk of kidney stones, which affect approximately 3.8 million people in the United States and are on the rise.

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The summer is officially here and more people are playing sports and exercising outdoors. Experts from NYU Langone’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC) offer tips to avoid injuries during these warmer months.

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The biological mechanism of sunburn – the reddish, painful, protective immune response from ultraviolet (UV) radiation – is a consequence of RNA damage to skin cells, report researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and elsewhere in the July 8, 2012 Advance Online Publication of Nature Medicine.

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The recent heat wave baking much of the country has prompted many people to ask: Is this due to climate change?

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Extreme heat continues to plague the nation with many areas seeing record temperatures. Though everyone needs to take precautions when it comes to dangerous heat, it’s especially important to watch your kids. Children are at a greater risk than adults of sustaining a heat injury. Loyola University Health System Pediatrician Helps Keep Kids Safe In Extreme Heat

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Every year, thousands of families end their 4th of July celebration with a visit to the emergency room due to injuries caused by fireworks. While fireworks can be fun and exciting, but can also be dangerous. A special study conducted by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff found that 65 percent of all fireworks injuries in 2011 were sustained during the 30 days surrounding the Independence Day holiday. More than half of these injuries were the result of unexpected ignition of the device or consumers not using fireworks as intended.

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Thumb and finger loss account for 32 percent of all reported injuries due to fireworks - imagining not being able to text for life is more potent than personal safety to today's generation, says Thomas Esposito, MD, trauma surgeon at Loyola's Level 1 trauma center.

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People across the country are experiencing sweltering weather with temperatures and the heat index reaching well into the 100-degree range. While many will take refuge in air-conditioned homes or at a local lake or pool, it’s important to remember that the heat can be much more than bothersome. It can put your health at risk and even prove life threatening.

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Vanderbilt doctors urge caution with consumer fireworks and offer safety tips for a safe Fourth of July.

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Recent injuries a reminder of the need for precautions.