Ask an Expert: Tips for a fun, safe summer

In addition to learning CPR, remember these summer water tips from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

Fence it off. Install a four-sided isolation fence, with self-closing and self-latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when a parent cannot supervise them. Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool.

Make life jackets a “must.” Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim.

Be on the look out. Supervise young children at all times around bathtubs, swimming pools, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water. Adults watching kids near water should avoid distracting activities like playing cards, reading books, or talking on the phone.

Northwest Regional Training Center CPR training in Vancouver.

CDC protect the ones you love initiative

American Heart Association

Diana Cave, a Registered Nurse with the American Heart Association‘s Emergency Cardiovascular Care program, offers tips to keep your family physically active – and safe – in the warmer months.

Q: How can my family stay active and safe this summer?

A: Summer means family picnics, baseball, days at the river and other outdoor activities. Remember these tips before heading outdoors:

o Hydrate! Drink plenty of water before, during and after physical activity to avoid dehydration. For low-calorie flavor, add slices of your favorite fruits such as melon, oranges, berries or even cucumber or mint to a pitcher of water and refrigerate for two hours.

o Protect your family from the sun: wear wide-brimmed hats, always apply water-resistant sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.

o Heat safety: avoid intense activities when the sun is at its strongest.

o Dress for the heat: wear lightweight, light colored clothing, choose light, breathable fabrics such as cotton, and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

o Head indoors: when the heat gets unbearable, try indoor activities at your local recreation center.

Q: What are the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke?

A: Heat-related illnesses occur when your body can’t keep itself cool. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headaches, heavy sweating, cold, moist skin or chills, dizziness or fainting, muscle cramps, a weak and rapid pulse, fast, shallow breathing and nausea, vomiting or both. If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to stop exercising and cool down immediately by dousing yourself with cold water and rehydrating. You may need to seek medical attention.

Heat stroke symptoms include warm, dry skin with no sweating, strong and rapid pulse, confusion and/or unconsciousness, high fever, throbbing headaches and nausea, vomiting or both. If you experience these symptoms, you should seek medical attention right away. If you’re a heart patient, older than 50 or overweight, you might need to take special precautions in the heat. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting an exercise routine. Also, certain heart medications can exaggerate the body’s response to heat.

Q: What is your most important summer safety tip?

A: When warm weather arrives in the Pacific Northwest, we flock to our rivers, lakes and pools. While we’re having fun, we need to remember water safety – especially when it comes to our children. Drowning is a leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 to 4 and knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most important things you can learn. Immediate CPR can help a child stay alive and reduce the chance of brain damage. Parents and other caregivers can visit www.Heart.org/CPR or call 877-242-4CPR (4277) to find a class near you.

o CDC’s Protect the Ones You Love Initiative

o MOXIE CPR Training Center – 17728 SE 17th Way, Vancouver

360-256-1330 or moxiecpr.@aol.com