Fun in the Sun is Not so Fun Now That You’re Sick and Have to Take These Pills

The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising and the kids are out of school. It’s summertime! As you head out to the pool, park or beach for a little fun in the sun, it turns out it may not be as fun as you’d hoped thanks to some common summertime illnesses and bites or stings.

We’ve been hearing a lot about how hot it is this summer, with many places across the United States seeing endless triple-digit days. Those high temperatures can cause people’s bodies to overheat, leading to heat-related illnesses like heat rash, heat cramps, or even heat exhaustion and heatstroke. For mild cases of heat-related illnesses, it’s important to cool off, dry off, use a cold compress, drink lots of water and rest. In some cases, an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever may be needed. Of course, if you think you may have heat exhaustion or heatstroke, see a doctor right away.

As you jump in the pool to cool off, be careful of the water in your ears because it could cause an infection. Swimmer’s ear is an infection in the outer ear canal usually caused by water that remains in the ear, allowing for bacteria to grow. To treat it, you may need a pain reliever, or a doctor may prescribe a steroid to reduce inflammation or an antibiotic.

Summertime is also a great time to have those picnics in the park or backyard barbeques, but when that fun turns into a pain in the stomach, it may be something you ate. Food poisoning is a common summertime illness that can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting within hours or days of eating spoiled food. To treat mild cases of food poisoning, you may need an OTC pain reliever or even a prescribed antibiotic, anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal medication.

While you are in the park at the picnic, or even lying on the beach minding your own business, you could find yourself crying out in pain from the wasp that just stung you, or the ant that climbed up your foot and bit. Soon, the itching, burning or swelling will start, and you’ll be in search of an anti-itch cream. If the cream doesn’t do the trick, an oral antihistamine may be necessary.

Don’t forget the sunscreen! It happens all the time, you head outside and come home as red as a lobster. When you get too much sun, a topical cooling or hydrating gel or cream will often do the trick, but if it’s not enough to ease the burning pain, you may need an OTC pain reliever.

For each of these common summer ailments, you may need to take a pill to help but if you can’t swallow those pills, you could find yourself in even more pain. That’s where MEDCOAT can help! MEDCOAT is an innovative coating that helps pills slide down the throat smoothly without getting stuck, and it also covers up any bad taste. So, as you are packing up your beach, pool, or park bag with sunscreen, bug spray, water and other summertime essentials, make sure you are also packing the MEDCOAT!