Advances in Mental Health

When summer rolls around, it is time for sun and fun for you and your children. However, with all of the heat, sunshine, and everything that goes along with it, your child may suffer from injuries or illnesses this summer that require medical attention. Get to know some of the health issues that your child can have over the summer that would require a trip the urgent care clinic so that you can be prepared to get them the medical attention that they need as quickly as possible.

Severe Sunburns

No matter how much you remind your child to put on sunscreen and try to remember to put it on them yourself, there may be moments in the summer when your child is exposed to direct sunlight without any skin protection. More often than not, this will result in a minor to moderate sunburn that you can treat at home with aloe vera and rest.

However, if your child spends a prolonged period of time out in the sun without sunscreen or without reapplication, they may come home with a sunburn that is much worse. A sunburn that blisters, is peeling (especially right away), or is severely painful is likely a second degree (or in rare cases, third degree) burn that would benefit from immediate medical attention.

Take your child to an urgent care clinic as soon as possible to have the sunburn assessed and cleaned to prevent infections. The doctor may prescribe a burn cream such as silver sulfadiazine (brand name, Silvadene) that will help soothe and heal the burn. They may also prescribe an antibiotic depending on how large and severe the burn is, as well as your child's other risks of infection.

A Reaction to Mosquito or Other Bug Bites

While your child could get a bug bite during other seasons of the year, summer is often the time that they are outdoors the most and that the doors and windows of your home are most often open. This means that your child will likely come into contact with more insects on average during the summer, which can result in more insect bites.

Mosquitoes are abundant during the summer months, as are ticks, chiggers, fleas, and sand fleas (chigoe). All of these insects are known to bite humans and cause rashes, skin irritations, and can cause other infections as well.

If your child has mosquito bites, for example, that swell up large (golf ball size or larger) and may be warm to the touch, this could indicate an allergic reaction that would benefit from a trip to the urgent care clinic. Similarly if your child shows up with a mysterious skin lesion or rash that is particularly itchy or painful, getting the expert opinion of medical professionals can get you a diagnosis for your child and a treatment plan that will help them recover faster.

Now that you know a few of the reasons you may need to take your child to an urgent care clinic this summer, you can be sure that you are doing everything you can to take care of your child throughout the summer season.