We don’t want anything to stand in the way of your summer adventures. Whether you’re hitting the beach, hosting a barbecue, or traveling somewhere new, this guide will help you keep safe, stay healthy, and know your options if an accident does happen. From tick bites and poison ivy to burns and breaks, you and your loved ones deserve peace of mind all summer long.
Outdoor, sports, and camp injuries
Fireworks and Campfires
When it comes to fire, the best way to stay out of the ER is to operate with caution and leave the pyrotechnics to the pros.
Fireworks safety: If you can’t resist, make sure you only buy legal fireworks, store them in a cool, dry place, only use them outdoors, and always keep your kids away. Never hold them in your hand or have any part of your body over them while lighting them. When you’re done, soak all fireworks in water before throwing them away.
Campfire safety: Always use a rock-circled fire pit and never use lighter fluid. Never leave a fire alone—even for a minute!—and be sure to put it out properly. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.
Don’t forget your water: Keep a bucket of water, a hose, and a shovel handy anytime you’re dealing with fireworks or flames.
Plan ahead: Teach your kids to stop, drop, and roll if their clothes catch on fire, and keep a fire extinguisher in your home.
What to do if someone has a minor burn:
Hold the area under cool (not cold) water for at least 10 minutes. If you don’t have running water, you can use any cold liquid like juice, beer, or milk. Switch to water as soon as you can. Do not use ice.
Gently remove rings or other tight items from the burned area before it swells.
After the area has cooled, apply lotion with aloe vera.
Bandage the burn loosely with a clean bandage. Do not break any blisters—they help guard against infection. If a blister does break, gently clean the area and apply an antibiotic ointment.
Emergency care might still be needed for a minor burn if it affects the eyes, mouth, hands, or genitals. Babies and older adults may need emergency care as well. Sollis Health members can call our 24/7 medical hotline for guidance.
What to do if someone has a major burn:
Call 911 or seek immediate help if the burn is deep and involves all layers of the skin; causes the skin to be dry, leathery, or charred; is larger than three inches in diameter; covers the hands, feet, face, groin, or a major joint or starts swelling very quickly.
Make sure the burned person is breathing. If they’re not, put them on their back and begin rescue breathing. Tilt their head and lift their chin up with two fingers, pinch their nose, seal your mouth over theirs, and blow steadily into their mouth for one second.
Remove jewelry, belts, and any other tight items, especially from the burned area and neck. Burned areas swell quickly.
Cover the burn with loose gauze or a clean cloth and raise it above heart level, if possible. Do not touch it with your hands, do not apply lotions, and do not break blisters.
While waiting for emergency aid, watch for signs for shock, including cool, clammy skin, weak pulse, and shallow breathing.
Boating and water sports injuries
The leading factor of serious boating injuries is alcohol, with most incidents occurring in calm waters, light wind, and good visibility. No matter how perfect the weather is, if you’re out on the water, don’t drink alcohol and always make sure you have enough life jackets—and that they fit everyone aboard (young kids should wear a Type III U.S. Coast Guard-approved life preserver, not a pool toy like water wings or a noodle).
In case of emergency, everyone should know CPR. While many swimming and boating sites have lifeguards, they don’t catch everything. The more prepared you are for an emergency, the better
What to do if someone is drowning:
Get them out of the water and call 911.
Place them on their back and check for breathing: put your ear next to their mouth and nose and look to see if their chest is moving. If they’re not breathing, check their pulse for 10 seconds.
If there’s no pulse, begin CPR. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest at the nipple line and press down at least two inches without pressing on the ribs. Do 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. Let the chest rise completely between pushes.
Check to see if they’re breathing, then perform two rescue breaths. Gently tilt their head and lift the chin up with two fingers. Pinch their nose, seal your mouth over theirs, and blow steadily into their mouth for one second.
Never assume it’s too late to save someone’s life. Even if they’re unresponsive, continue alternating between 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until emergency help arrives or they start to breathe normally.
Cuts, sprains, breaks, and concussions
What to do if someone is bleeding:
Apply pressure with a clean cloth, tissue, or gauze. Do not remove the material even if it becomes blood-soaked.
Go to Sollis or an ER immediately if the bleeding can’t be stopped with pressure within 10 minutes, blood is spurting out of the wound, the cut is on the face, ear, or neck, dirt/debris is stuck in the wound, or if you suspect internal bleeding.
If the wound is on a leg or arm, try to raise it above the heart, which will help stem the bleeding.
Do not wait. If a cut needs stitches, it must happen within 18 to 24 hours.
If you have any concerns, Sollis Health members can call our 24/7 medical hotline for guidance.
How to treat a minor injury like wrist or ankle sprain:
If you’re not sure whether it’s dislocated or sprained, immobilize the area, don’t put weight on it, and reduce inflammation.
Try the RICE method for the first day or two (rest, ice, compression, elevation).
Don’t ignore your injury, or you could end up with chronic pain. Call Sollis to get it examined and diagnosed with an on-site X-ray (bones) or MRI (Soft tissues, ligaments, and nerves).
If you don’t want to move your injury, Sollis can come right to you via house call, or can arrange ambulance transport to our center.
Not sure what to do? Sollis Health members can call our 24/7 medical hotline for guidance.
How to treat a concussion:
Look for red flags that indicate they need immediate care. If the person appears dazed, confused, can’t remember things before the concussion, loses consciousness (even briefly), or has personality changes, call the Sollis Health 24/7 medical hotline.
Be on alert for 24-48 hours. Watch for signs of worsening symptoms. If they experience weakness, numbness, loss of coordination, nausea or vomiting, slurred speech, severe headache, difficulty staying awake, trouble waking up, one pupil larger than the other, or seizures, immediately take them to the ER for an evaluation.
How to treat a broken bone:
Call 911 immediately if there’s an injury to the head, neck, or back, if a bone comes through the skin, or if there’s heavy bleeding.
Keep the person lying down and gently take or cut clothing off the injured area without moving it.
For a minor fracture, put ice on it, elevate it if possible, and use a simple splint to keep it temporarily stable. How long can a broken bone go untreated? If it’s not dealt with in the first few weeks, it will need surgery.
While waiting for help, do not move the injured body part, wash it, or push in any part that’s sticking out. Do not let the person eat or drink in case they need surgery.
If you need guidance at any point of the process—from how to tell if a bone is broken to signs a broken bone is not healing down the road—call Sollis Health’s 24/7 medical hotline for guidance.
Summer camp injuries
Before you trust a camp with your child’s safety, make sure their staff is trained in first aid and emergency protocol. Tell camp personnel about your kid’s medical conditions, allergies, and any medications they’re taking. You should also teach your child basic first aid, warn them about common injuries, and go over safety rules so they know how to act when you’re not around.
When to go to the ER:
Severe headache or vomiting, especially after a head injury
Bleeding that won’t stop within 10 minutes of pressure
Inability to stand or unsteady walking
Loss of consciousness
Difficulty breathing
Skin or lips that look blue, purple, or gray
Smoke inhalation
Difficulty eating
Animal or snake bite
Coughing or vomiting blood
Severe, persistent, or increasing pain
Confusion or delirium
Fever accompanied by a change in behavior
For everything else that happens at camp—from mild illnesses to dehydration to any other non-life-threatening conditions—you can always call our 24/7 medical hotline.
Bites and stings
The more time you spend outside, the more exposed you are to bites and stings from ticks and bees, to jellyfish and stingrays. Our ticks and lyme disease guide and bites and stings guide have everything you need to know about prevention, treatment, and how Sollis can keep you safer.
Travel
No matter how last-minute or hectic your travel plans, peace of mind is possible with Sollis Health. Whether you develop symptoms, get injured or have an accident, or just need a health professional’s expert opinion, Sollis can provide the support you need without delay with membership features like:
On-demand virtual visits: Bug bite? Food poisoning? Mystery symptoms? Slip-and-fall? We’ve all been tempted to self-diagnose, but late-night internet searches can’t take the place of real-time expert medical advice, especially when you’re traveling. Sollis offers virtual visits to answer your health questions the minute they arise, even when you’re out of the country. Every concern is welcome, no matter how big or small. Beyond virtual consultations, we can suggest follow-up treatment, which might include prescription medication or a visit with a local doctor for in-person care.
Global travel care coordination: Navigating care while traveling abroad comes with different medical systems and unfamiliar locations. Sollis can locate trusted doctors, set up appointments, and handle translation needs if needed to ensure you receive the best possible treatment—anytime, anywhere.
Medevac for illnesses and injuries: Navigating a major injury away from home doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Whether you have an accident while preparing Thanksgiving dinner or while hiking, skiing, ziplining, or sailing, Sollis can arrange for a medical evacuation to provide you with timely and quality care. When you arrive at the hospital, we’ll coordinate your care and schedule follow-ups if needed.
Prescriptions when traveling: Medications can run out unexpectedly when you’re traveling. Prescriptions are a must for your health, but scheduling with a local facility for your refill will likely lead to long wait times. Depending on where you are, your Care Navigation Team can help you get the refill you need from the nearest available pharmacy.
Summer skincare
Sunburns aren’t the only summertime skin concerns. With access to urgent and emergency skincare, as well as proactive and preventive features like expedited specialist access and medical partnerships, Sollis members can protect their body’s biggest organ all summer long.
Sunburn
Spend too much time in the sun and you’ll end up with summer’s most common occupational hazard: a sunburn. In technical terms, it’s an overexposure to harmful UV radiation, which can eventually cause skin cancer.
Don’t let those clouds fool you: if the sun is out, you can get exposed to UV radiation. If you’re going to spend the day outdoors, limit your sun exposure by staying in the shade under a tree or umbrella, especially between 10 am-4 pm. Keep in mind that sand and water can intensify UV rays. Cover your body with wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses that have UVA and UVB protection, long-sleeved shirts, and pants—this goes for children and babies, too. The darker the clothing and the tighter the weave, the better the protection from UV rays.
The best way to avoid a sunburn is to use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Apply it liberally to every inch of exposed skin and reapply every two hours, or after swimming or excessively sweating.
What to do if you get sunburned:
Go indoors and take a cool bath or shower to relieve the pain, then apply moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy.
Drink lots of water and consider Tylenol or Ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling or discomfort. If you have to go back outdoors, make sure you cover the entire sunburned area.
If you get blisters from sunburn, experience severe swelling, show signs of infection, experience worsening pain, nausea, or chills, or have vision changes, confusion, or a high fever, call Sollis Health’s 24/7 medical hotline for support.
Skin rashes
Getting a rash from poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac is not inevitable! With a little knowledge and the right steps, you don’t have to suffer uncomfortable symptoms.
Learn to identify poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, which all contain urushiol. This oily resin causes an itchy rash that can last for weeks. When in areas where any of these plants are present, wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves. If you do come into contact with one of these plants, wash your skin right away with soapy water or rubbing alcohol to eliminate the urushiol and prevent you from spreading it to others.
What to do if you get a rash from poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac:
soak the area in a cool-water bath with a half-cup of baking soda or an oatmeal-based bath product
place cool, wet compresses on the area for 30 minutes several times a day
apply an over-the-counter cortisone cream, ointment, or calamine lotion
take an oral antihistamine like Benadryl
While the rash will eventually go away, for a severe or widespread rash (especially if it’s on your face or genitals), you might need a prescription medication. Call the Sollis Health 24/7 medical hotline if you’re experiencing nausea, fever, shortness of breath, extreme soreness at the rash site, or swollen lymph nodes. Call 911 or go to the ER if you feel faint or have trouble breathing.
Moles
In addition to following the sun guidelines above, always keep an eye on your moles and sunspots for early signs of skin cancer. The earlier you catch it, the better chance you have of treating it.
How to give yourself a skin exam:
Every month, look for the warning signs of skin cancer everywhere, including your scalp, armpits, and other hard-to-reach areas. Think ABCDE:
asymmetry
border irregularity
color variation
diameter (larger than a pencil eraser)
evolution or change over time (size, shape, color, height, or even itchiness)
If you notice anything concerning—especially if you have a personal or family history of skin cancer—call Sollis Health anytime. We’ll get you an expedited appointment with a leading dermatologist so you can get to the bottom of your concerns.
