For many, the summer means beach trips, vacations, and family fun, but the season can also bring insects, rashes, asthma attacks, sunburns, and more.

While we’re not here to ruin anyone’s good time, we *are* here to keep you safe and healthy. So, we’re providing a rundown of some summertime perils and how best to treat these conditions.

Southcoast Health reminds you to stay vigilant and to not ignore your symptoms. We are your resource for world-class care close to home, including treatment for seasonal illnesses, minor injuries, and more.

Insects

New England is home to several insects and arachnid species that emerge during the summer months. Several of those insects may sting or bite. Others can carry diseases. 

Ticks are a significant threat during the summer months. There are roughly three different tick species in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with the lone star tick, dog tick, and the black-legged tick (deer tick) being the most common. Ticks can carry numerous diseases, including:

• Lyme Disease
• Anaplasmosis (HGA)
• Babesiosis
• Borrelia miyamotoi
• Powassan virus
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

The most common signs of these infections are fever, body aches, or a rash after a tick bite, and you should seek medical attention promptly should you experience them. Learn more about tick-borne disease prevention – and remember to check your body for ticks daily! 

Summertime also brings irritating mosquitos.

But these days, irritation is the least of our worries. Mosquitoes can also carry bacteria and viruses that cause diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE, or “Triple E”) and West Nile Virus (WNV). Their “bites” can cause illness ranging from a mild fever to more severe disease like encephalitis or meningitis. 

Protect yourself from mosquito bites and potential illness by doing simple things:

• Use insect repellents any time you are outdoors.
• Wear long-sleeved clothing.
• Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hours from dusk to dawn during peak mosquito season.
• Repair damaged window and door screens.
• Remove standing water from the areas around your home.

Additionally, other insects and arachnids are more active — and likely to bite or sting — during the summer. Ants, bees, bed-bugs, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and various spiders can be summer annoyances that bite and sting. Remember to seek proper medical care if you start experiencing bite-related allergies or infections.

Even if you don’t have a bite-related allergy, it’s beneficial to seek medical attention for any suspicious-looking bites or extended periods of bite-related irritation.

If you need quick medical care that you and your family can rely on, find your nearest urgent care location or an urgent care doctor today. We gladly accept walk-ins, so no appointment is needed.

The Southcoast Health Urgent Care is open to the public, and you do not need to have a Southcoast Physicians Group doctor to visit our urgent care clinic.

If your condition is an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.