Summer’s Approaching: Are You Prepared?
April 24, 2023
As summer vacation draws near, students at Shadow Ridge High School are anxious to break free of the chains of the educational system and embark on the summer trips their parents have dutifully planned for them. These trips include cruises, road trips, visiting all-inclusive resorts, and the all famous and underappreciated stay-cations right in a students very own hometown. With these trips, however, there are dangers that come with travel including motion sickness, pesky bug bites, and of course, the ever painful sunburn. Although these few examples seem inevitable with the prospect of summer trips, there are many things to protect unsuspecting students and help them stay healthy and enjoy their summers.
The first tip Mustangs should follow is to get off of their phones in the car and try to enjoy the world around them while on road trips. According to the CDC, those who suffer from motion sickness should try to get a seat near the front of the car when possible or, when on a plane, find a window seat and look at the horizon. Whatever travelers do, they should not drink too many caffeinated beverages and should stop for short periods of time when needed.
Junior Aliandra Rizo has had poor experiences with motion sickness in the past.
“I get so carsick when I go on road trips with my family,” Rizo explained. “Once I made my family pull over and it ended up being a false alarm. Now my parents pack emergency medicine and barf bags.”
To avoid bug bites, bug spray and oil of lemon eucalyptus is always recommended to travelers. Sleeping under a mosquito net and wearing long sleeves is also recommended. Those unlucky vacationers already caught by these pests should take care not to scratch the bite and apply calamine lotion to soothe any pain or itching.
Sophomore Noel Caldera is willing to risk the bug bites, however, as long as he doesn’t have to use bug spray.
“I never use bug spray because it smells gross and I always get bug bites. Go figure,” Caldera said.
Finally, sunburns are one of the most common ailments among travelers during the summer, especially those who visit the beach or do any kind of activity outside for long periods of time. Mustangs should be sure to wear sunblock at all times when outside to protect themselves from this UV skin damage and, in the future, possible skin cancer and premature aging.
Junior Emma Clement is proactive in taking care of her skin in the summertime.
“I have sunscreen moisturizer that I use every morning after washing my face because skin cancer runs in my family,” Clement stated. “Redhead problems I guess.”
