“Staying active, even exercising in hot weather, can be done safely, but you really have to pay attention to the environment and your body to make sure a good thing doesn’t go bad,” says Chaun Cox, M.D. , a Mayo Clinic Health System Family Medicine physician and an avid runner.

Here are a few tips from Dr. Cox for exercising in the heat.

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Know the weather.

If you haven’t been exercising in hot weather already this summer, don’t choose a hot day to start. Your body needs to acclimate to the heat, so start with shorter periods of exercise and gradually extend the duration of your workout.

High humidity prevents sweat from readily evaporating from this skin, which puts added stress on your body. And pay attention to the forecast — and the sky. Severe weather can develop rather quickly, and there are no extra points for trying to outrun a thunderstorm or tornado.

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Stay hydrated.

Your body cools itself by sweating, and if you stay hydrated, the body is pretty good at cooling itself.

When you become dehydrated, your body starts to store heat inside. Your core temperature begins to increase, and that can put your organs and nervous system at risk. Drink water before, during and after you exercise. Additionally, make sure you have food throughout the day.

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Slow down.

Don’t try to keep up your normal pace and intensity in hot weather.

Get comfortable knowing you’ll have to take things a bit easier when the mercury rises. Save your goal of setting a personal best for another, cooler day. Don’t think you have to keep up with your running or workout buddies — at least until the temperature cools off a bit.

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Dress smart.

Clothing for exercise or working out in hot weather should permit evaporation of sweat from your skin.

Wear light-colored, lightweight and loose-fitting items. Clothing also can help protect your skin from the sun, along with plenty of sunscreen.

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Listen to your body.

The old adage “no pain, no gain” is false. You should slow down or stop exercising at the first sign of discomfort.

Other warning signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness and dizziness. Heat stroke, which is more serious, may be indicated by a rapid, weak pulse, confusion and loss of consciousness. If you experience any of these warning signs of heat stroke, call 911 immediately, or alert someone to make the call on your behalf.

Summer fun can include outdoor exercise and workouts. The trick is to be smart about it. By following some simple tips, you’ll get more out of your time outdoors and reduce the risks associated with hot weather.

Food tends to be the focus on Thanksgiving, but preparing that food is often trickier than many people expect. Dr. Sanj Kakar, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic hand surgeon, says far too many people accidentally carve up their hands while trying to carve up the turkey. Dr. Kakar offers these tips to help keep you out of the emergency department this Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving, don’t let a poke, stab or slice prevent you and your family from enjoying turkey time.

“We see a lot of turkey-cutting injuries,” Dr. Kakar says.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time dedicated to family, football and food, but too often, it turns into a day of finger and hand injuries.

“In terms of what happens is that people who aren’t familiar with using a knife tend to do it, and their hand … slips,” Dr. Kakar says. “And if you actually think about how you’re cutting, … the knife can actually slip and puncture your hand.”

Dr. Kakar sees patients who have injuries related to turkey carving that range from deep slices to cut tendons, and even fingers cut off.

“Well, I think the No. 1 risk factor is alcohol,” he says.

So if you’ve been drinking, leave the carving to someone else.

“Another common cause for injuries is with distraction,” he says. “So the whole family is gathered around. There’s a lot of excitement. The turkey comes out, and one can be distracted when you’re doing it.”

That’s why he recommends doing the carving in the kitchen away from distractions, then bringing the sliced turkey to the table.

Dr. Kakar’s third tip comes from the fact that many people serve foods on Thanksgiving that they don’t eat or prepare other times of the year. He’s seen patients who tried to prepare a squash or some other vegetable, but didn’t know the proper way to cut it. His recommendation is that if you don’t know the proper way to cut something, just use it as a centerpiece on the dining room table.

©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

For many families, the start of school is a busy, exciting time of year. For some families, though, returning to school also means unpleasant, unwelcome guests: head lice.

An estimated 6-12 million infestations of head lice occur each year in the U.S. among children 3 to 11 years old, predominantly among preschool children in child care settings and children in elementary school, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Members of their households also are at risk.

What are head lice?

Head lice are tiny insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. Head lice don’t carry bacterial or viral diseases, and having head lice isn’t a sign of poor personal hygiene or an unclean living environment.

Head lice crawl, but they can’t jump or fly. They most often affect children and are spread primarily by direct head-to-head contact. The risk of spreading head lice is greatest among children within a family or children who have close contact at school or play. Head lice also may spread when items of clothing are stored together. For example, hats or scarves hung on the same hook or stored in the same closet or school locker could serve as vehicles for spreading lice. Household pets, such as dogs and cats, don’t play a role in spreading head lice.

Common signs and symptoms of head lice may include:

— Itching: The most common symptom of head lice is itching on the scalp, neck and ears. This is an allergic reaction to louse bites. When a person has head lice for the first time, itching may not occur for four to six weeks.

— Lice on scalp: You may be able to see the lice, but they’re often hard to spot because they’re small, avoid light and move quickly.

— Lice eggs, or nits, on hair shafts: Nits stick to hair shafts and may be hard to see because they’re very tiny. They’re easiest to spot around the ears and the hairline of the neck. Empty nits may be easier to spot because they’re lighter in color and further from the scalp. However, the presence of nits doesn’t mean there are live lice.

— Sores on the scalp, neck and shoulders: Scratching can lead to small, red bumps that may sometimes get infected with bacteria.

Treatment

If you suspect someone in your household has head lice, see a healthcare professional to confirm that head lice are present before you begin treatment. Studies show that many children have been treated for head lice with nonprescription medications or home remedies when they didn’t have lice.

Treatment of head lice can include medications and home treatments.

Your healthcare professional likely will recommend a medication available without a prescription that kills lice and some of the nits. Medications without a prescription include permethrin, or Nix, and ivermectin, or Sklice.

In some regions, lice have developed resistance to nonprescription medications. Nonprescription treatment also may fail because of incorrect use, such as not repeating the treatment at an appropriate time. If the correct use of a nonprescription treatment has failed, your healthcare professional may recommend a prescription treatment. Prescription medications include spinosad, or Natroba; malathion; and prescription-strength ivermectin, or Stromectol.

If you prefer not to use a medication for treating head lice, you may consider a home treatment. However, there’s little to no clinical evidence that home treatments are effective, and some can be dangerous.

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©2023 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.