35 of summer's most common emergencies

This story was originally titled "50 Summer Emergencies" in the July 2008 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

1. Your child falls from the second floor window of a cottage – he seems fine but is very dizzy.
Action: Take him to a hospital emergency department to get checked out, advises Dr. Lynne Warda, a pediatrician in Winnipeg and chair of the Canadian Paediatric Society's Injury Prevention Committee.
Don't: Strap him into his car seat if you think there's any chance he has injured his back, neck or spine. In this case, call 911 for appropriate transportation.

2. You're on a long trek and develop huge blisters on both feet.
Action: Cover the blisters with gauze dressings or padded bandages, says Les Johnson, the national director of training for St. John Ambulance in Ottawa. This will relieve the pressure and allow you to keep walking.
Don't: Try to break the blisters: you could increase the risk of infection.

3. You wake up with red itchy spots on your skin, and suspect bed bugs.
Action: Health Canada recommends laundering affected bedding and clothing on high heat. Take apart the bed and vacuum to box springs and frames. If necessary, use a scrub brush to remove bed bugs and eggs from the seams. Clean under the bed and other furniture, along baseboards and in creases or crevices.
Don't: Worry too much; bed bugs don't pose any major health risk.

4. You take a rest from a country stroll with your pooch, and realize that you're sitting in poison ivy.
Action: Return to where you're staying, remove and bag clothing for laundering and wash skin with soap and cool water, says Donna Kearney, a nurse practitioner in Rosseau, Ont.
Don't: Put hands in your mouth or eyes, or touch any other bare skin your dog a bath, too.

5. Your toddler drinks creek water she found near a friend's cabin.
Action: Wait and see what happens, advises Warda. If she develops bloody diarrhea, or diarrhea that lasts longer than seven days, see a doctor. Also see a doctor if she has severe abdominal pain. 
Don't: Induce vomiting – there's no point, says Warda, because you don't know if there's even going to be a health problem.

6. You get an ear infection after swimming in unfamiliar waters.
Action: Flush ears with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol four times a day, says Kearney. Use a squeezable water bottle or eye dropper, or pour in the solution slowly.
Don't: Use cotton swabs to try to clear out ears or put your head under water until symptoms are cleared up.

7. Your teenager lands on his back showing off his flip on an old trampoline at the cottage.
Action: If he has numbness or tingling, difficulty walking or can't walk at all, call 911. If he can walk to the car, drive him to the emergency.
Don't: Use a trampoline in the first place (the Canadian Paediatric Society says this is a high risk activity and that trampolines should not be used at home).

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