{"id":12518,"date":"2020-02-25T13:58:40","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T18:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hancockregionalhospital.org\/?p=12518"},"modified":"2020-02-25T13:58:40","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T18:58:40","slug":"keep-the-family-safe-and-healthy-this-spring-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/zh\/2020\/02\/keep-the-family-safe-and-healthy-this-spring-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep the family safe and healthy this spring break"},"content":{"rendered":"
All the elements that make vacation so great\u2014the new experiences, the change of scenery, the break from routine\u2014also make it a little challenging, especially for families. If young children are part of the mix, the difficulty level rises significantly.<\/p>\n

The time to relax together, connect, and enjoy new experiences makes the challenge worthwhile\u2014and you can take charge of a lot of the elements that make vacations daunting.<\/p>\n

Keep illness off the agenda<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not going to hermetically seal the family to keep germs away for vacation, so you can\u2019t guarantee nobody picks up a cold or flu while you travel. You can take a few easy precautions to minimize the chances, however.<\/p>\n

First and foremost? Insist that everyone wash their hands frequently, and especially before meals. It really is the surest, easiest preventive measure. If you\u2019ll be bringing snacks on the road or keeping them around your hotel or condo, remember that food-borne illnesses are more likely to come from raw foods. Wash your fruits and veggies!<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ll be flying<\/a>, the crowded, contained environment means you\u2019re much more likely to pick up an illness. Consider bringing your own pillows and blankets so that you\u2019re not bringing previous passengers\u2019 germs right up to your face. If you can\u2019t wait until the flight\u2019s over to snack, be sure to wash your hands first.<\/p>\n

Stay safe in the sun<\/p>\n

For many families, soaking in the sunshine is Reason No. 1 for taking a spring break trip. Feels amazing to bask in the warmth after a gray, shivery winter. To a point, anyway. If you\u2019re out long enough to get sunburned, your fun could be over in a hurry.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re most likely to become burned between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., which also happen to be the hours most people are gallivanting beachside or hiking through the hills. (By the way, don\u2019t forget that if you\u2019ve sought a high-elevation vacation, thinner air means more chance for ultraviolet rays to get at you.)<\/p>\n

Vacation doesn\u2019t mean a break from the rules of sun protection<\/a>. In short: Cover up with a hat; keep babies out of direct sun; reapply SPF 15 or greater every hour; and take advantage of shade when you can.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the water safely<\/p>\n

This is a big one, and it depends on how you plan to enjoy the water<\/a> while you\u2019re away. Whether you\u2019re on the ocean, boating on a lake, or simply splashing in the hotel pool, water is a blast, but a good time that can go south fast and in a whole lot of ways.<\/p>\n

Vigilance is imperative, and that means holding off on the cocktails until everyone\u2019s done enjoying the water, no matter how good that afternoon pi\u00f1a colada may sound. It also means:<\/p>\n