The nearly 100 sunny, summery days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known around the emergency department as trauma season.
It’s during those active, sunny summer days that accidents and other injury-causing events bring about a spike in the number of broken bones, fractures and lacerations, among other wounds.
McLaren Lapeer Region emergency medicine physicians also see a spike in a number of other seasonal ailments that patients and parents should be on the lookout for when the weather allows for more time outdoors.
“As the seasons change, so do the chief complaints of patients that come through our emergency department,” said Dr. Joseph Zajchowski, an emergency medicine physician at McLaren Lapeer Region. “While we see a high volume of traumatic injuries, everyone should take precautions against other very common seasonal afflictions.”
One very common diagnosis is skin irritation stemming from contact with an environmental irritant such as an insect bite or sun exposure, which can appear as an itchy, sensitive skin rash or dry, flaky skin, or bumps and peeling skin.
“We get a lot of that over the warmer months, with people taking in more and more of nature,” said Dr. Zajchowski. “We definitely recommend everyone be aware of their surroundings when outdoors and how it might affect them, but we also understand that accidents happen, in which case, they should absolutely come and see us.”
Environmental factors can also cause severe reactions to allergy and asthma sufferers, which should also be treated in an emergency department.
Another very common reason for an emergency visit during the summer months occur when people feel the effects of heat exhaustion.
“Symptoms of heat exhaustion can show in many ways,” Dr. Zajchowski said, “such as fatigue and dehydration, in addition to the very serious symptoms of neurological and behavioral changes and chest pain.”
For medical emergencies, dial 911. To check into the emergency room online or to learn more about emergency care at McLaren Lapeer Region, visit mclaren.org/lapeerer.