Summer Safety Tips for Kids and Adults

Between swimming, vacations, and being able to spend time enjoying outdoor activities, the summer months are fun for everyone! We certainly hope that you take some time this year to get out and enjoy them with your friends and family.

That being said, the summer months also come with certain risks–sunburns, dehydration, or suffering from an injury while enjoying an outdoor activity.

At The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, we want your family to stay safe, healthy, and happy. For that reason, we encourage you to check out some of our summer safety tips.

Water Safety

Family time at the pool, beach, lake, or water park should be fun.

Unfortunately, while water activities are a lot of fun, they can also be dangerous. Here are a few ways to ensure you and your loved ones stay safe around water.

Take swimming lessons—Swimming doesn’t come naturally to everyone and it’s certainly a skill that little ones should learn before diving headfirst into a pool, lake, or ocean. Community pools and places like the YMCA often offer swimming lessons. Join a class and brush up on your skills. And if you have kids, this is a great opportunity for them to learn water safety and how to swim.

Wear life jackets–Even the strongest swimmers should wear a life jacket when enjoying water activities such as boating, jet skiing, or tubing. Accidents can happen anytime. And, if for some reason, you ended up injured or exhausted and became unable to swim, a lifejacket would save your life.

Life jackets for small children are also a must…even if you’re just hanging out around the pool deck or dock at the lake. Drowning can occur in a blink of an eye. Protect your little one with a life jacket.

Don’t swim alone—Always enjoy water sports or a dip in the pool, lake, or ocean with a buddy. It’s important to have someone around in case you suddenly need help in the water.

Sun Safety

While the hot sun may feel good on our skin, it unfortunately has the potential to damage skin and even cause cancer.

Here are a few things you can do to keep your skin safe

Apply sunscreen—Anytime you go outside for an extended period of time, be sure to lather up with some sunscreen. If you’re sweaty or have been submersed in water, apply sunscreen more frequently as it can easily wash off—yes, even the waterproof sunscreens!

Wear a hat–Wearing a hat is an easy way to keep your face, scalp, and neck from burning. The skin on your face is particularly delicate, so it’s important to keep it safe and out of direct sunlight.

Limit your time outside—It’s important to take breaks during the day to get out of the sun. Keep watch of how much time you’re spending outside, and be sure to come in for cooldown breaks throughout the day.

Play Safety

There’s nothing better than a day of bike riding, hiking, or playing in the yard. But there are precautions you should take, even in the safety of your own neighborhood to ensure your kids stay safe while at play.

Wear helmets/safety gear—Every year people fall off bikes, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, etc., and end up with broken bones, head injuries, and bumps and bruises. To prevent serious injuries, always hear helmets and other safety gear like knee pads.

Stay hydrated—An intense game of basketball or tag in the hot summer sun is enough to dehydrate you. Make sure you and your kids drink a glass of water every hour or so to stay hydrated and healthy.

Avoid heat stroke—Heat exhaustion can be very serious. Before you end up getting sick or passing out, make sure you take rest breaks in the shade, cool off inside, and drink plenty of water.

Do you have any summer safety tips? Share them in the comments below!

Sunglasses: Different Shades for Different Needs

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Summer is here! That means it’s time for plentiful sunshine and fun in the sun. But, are you regularly protecting your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays? Do you wear sunglasses, or do you have trouble finding a pair that fit your face, support your eyesight, and look stylish, too?

Choosing sunglasses isn’t as easy as you may think. There are different styles available for different face shapes. There are tons of options for lens color, prescription sunglasses, and various other types of glasses available for every style, personality, and unique need.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you buy your next pair:

Know the shape of your face.

Different glasses shapes fit different facial structures. If you’ve ever tried on sunglasses before, you know that some pairs just don’t fit properly or look great when they’re on your face. Some sunglasses will accentuate your best facial features, while others weren’t made for you—and that’s okay!

Most people have one of the following facial structures: heart-shaped, round, oval, or square. To find out your facial structure, try tracing the outline of your face—from your chin, all the way around your cheek bones, to your forehead, and back down. Keep your facial structure in mind and tell a professional what “type” you are: she can choose glasses that are perfectly suited for your particular face shape.

For example, people with heart-shaped faces are better suited wearing wayfarers and cat eye glasses, whereas people with oval faces can also wear wayfarers, but they can also sport a great pair of aviators, too! There are great, stylish glasses out there for every face shape.

Make sure they have UVA/UVB protection.

The sunshine has the potential to not only damage our skin, but it can be detrimental to our eyesight as well. When choosing sunglasses, make sure you’re picking a pair that has proper UVA and UVB protection.

To protect your eyes from UV radiation, cataracts, burns, and various types of cancer, be sure to choose glasses that have at least 99 percent UVB ray protection and 95 percent UVB ray protection. Steer clear from glasses that are labeled “cosmetic” or don’t have any type of UVA/UVB protection label on them.

Lens color is important, too.

The color of your sunglasses lenses is also an important factor to consider before making your next purchase. Different colored lenses affect the way we detect color contrast and separate colors in our line of vision. If you don’t choose lenses that are comfortable for your eyes, that strain your vision, or that make it difficult to do certain activities, you will be harming your eyesight.

Grey lenses are one of the most common types of lenses because they don’t drastically affect color, but they still reduce the intensity of light. Brown lenses are great for sports, especially skiing or snowboarding, and if you’re hiking or in the outdoors, because they enhance color contrast and block intense blue light. Yellow, red, and violet lenses are all used for enhancing particular objects and certain colors. They’re useful in driving, snow sports, hunting, and when you need to focus on a particular object.

Get your eyes examined before you purchase a new pair.

Sunglasses are fun, stylish, and useful, but before you invest in a new pair, consider getting your eyes examined by an optometrist. Sunglasses should be worn regularly, whenever you step outside, you’re driving, or your eyesight is affected by light.

Your optometrist will assess if you need corrective lenses for your glasses. There are countless styles, brands, and designer sunglasses available that support prescription lenses. Whether you need these special lenses for driving, working, or all the time, there are great solutions for all types of eyes.

Do you love sunglasses? Share your best tips for picking the right pair with us below!