Cool Down with Hot Summer First-Aid: 5 Tips for Cold Therapy by Louise Roach

When the temperature tops 90 and the soles of your shoes sizzle on the sidewalk, cold therapy is a necessity for summer first-aid. Whether it is ice from your freezer, a bag of frozen vegetables or a convenient commercial cold pack, ice therapy has many more uses than treating bumps and bruises.

Here are five summer first-aid tips for cold therapy:

Chill heat-related illnesses.

During the hot summer months, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be a problem. Symptoms of exhaustion can include dizziness, weakness, a feeling of nausea, excessive sweating and a shallow, quick pulse. With more serious heat stroke, the skin is hot and dry, and mental confusion can occur along with a loss of consciousness. Cold packs can be used to keep the body cool in excessive temperatures, helping to prevent heat exhaustion. Many athletes cool down after a summer event with an icy cold pack on the back of their necks. If symptoms are present, ice packs along with hydration can be used to lower the body temperature to a safe level. Always seek medical attention in the case of heat stroke as this condition can be sudden and deadly.

Ice bug bites.

Let’s face it, insect bites are a nuisance, causing swelling, itching and sometimes pain. Icing a bite immediately will keep the bug poison from spreading to other parts of the body, reduce swelling and inflammation, and numb the area, lessening the need to itch. Use ice therapy on mosquito, bee, spider, fire ant and centipede bites. If an allergic reaction happens or it is a serious bite, such as from the poisonous Brown Recluse Spider, immediately seek medical help.

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BIO:

Louise Roach is the editor of on-line health and fitness newsletter, NewsFlash*SnowPack. She has been instrumental in the development of SnowPack, a patented cold therapy that exhibits the same qualities as ice. Her injury prevention and treatment articles have been published on health and fitness websites. For more information visit http://www.snowpackusa.com or NewsFlash*SnowPack at http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash/

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