Tips To Enjoy Healthy Summer

BALTIMORE -- Summer is the season to enjoy the great outdoors. Unfortunately, it is also the season for lyme disease, poison ivy and swimmer's ear, television station WBAL reported.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that results from the bite of an infected deer tick. It can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms may be like other diseases, though the most obvious sign of lyme disease is a skin rash at the site of the bite.

When children play in wooded areas or in a place where deer are found, it is best if they wear pants and long sleeves. It is also a good idea to check for ticks after playing outdoors. Check your entire body, including your head.

A blood test can confirm if a child has lyme disease. Treatment can include antibiotics for up to three weeks. If left untreated, lyme disease can cause joint inflammation and eventually lead to neurological and cardiac problems.

Poison ivy is a common skin rash in the summer. It can also be avoided by wearing pants and long sleeves when in areas with the plant. Poison ivy is a weed with three shiny, green leaves and a red stem. The allergic reaction often starts with redness and itchiness. It can progress into bumps and blisters.

Calamine lotion will ease the itching of the rash and, for more severe cases, a doctor can prescribe a topical steroid to relieve itching. Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy.

Children who complain of an itchy or painful ear may have swimmer's ear. It is an infection of the ear canal that is caused by different types of bacteria and fungus. It can be brought on by swimming in a pool and is common in children who spend a lot of time in the water.

One way to avoid swimmer's ear is to make sure to dry a child's ears after swimming. When the ear is wet for a long time, bacteria can easily move into the area.

Another way to help prevent swimmer's ear is put a few drops of a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white wine vinegar into each ear before and after swimming. This will promote the drying of the ear. It should not be used on children with ear tubes.

Contact your child's doctor's office if you need an antibiotic eardrops or oral medication for more extreme cases.