Stay Healthy This Summer: An 8-Point Playbook to Keep Yourself — and Your Family — Out of the ER

May 18
4 min read

A Summer Wellness Brief from Apex Health

Summer is the season Americans look forward to all year — and the one that quietly sends more people to the emergency room with preventable problems than any other season.

Heat illness. Dehydration. Sun damage. Food poisoning at the family cookout. Cuts and sprains. Tick and mosquito bites. Most of it is avoidable with a few smart habits.

Here is the playbook our physicians use with the employees we serve. It is short, practical, and built around one idea: a little bit of prevention saves you a long bad day in the ER.

1. Drink water before you are thirsty

By the time you feel thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated. In summer heat, dehydration can sneak up fast and turn into headaches, dizziness, muscle cramps, or worse.

Do this: Start the day with a full glass of water. Carry a bottle. If you are outside or active, add a pinch of salt or an electrolyte mix every couple of hours. Watch your urine — pale yellow is the goal.

2. Layer your sun protection

Sunscreen alone is not enough. The sun damages your skin, your eyes, and your body's ability to regulate temperature.

Do this: SPF 30 or higher, applied 15 minutes before you go out, reapplied every two hours and after swimming. Add a wide-brim hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. If you can avoid being in direct sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., do it.

3. Learn the warning signs of heat illness

Heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke quickly — and heat stroke is a true medical emergency.

Heat exhaustion looks like: heavy sweating, weakness, nausea, cool and clammy skin, fast pulse. Heat stroke looks like: confusion, no sweating despite the heat, skin that is hot and dry, body temperature above 103°F, fainting.

Do this: At the first sign of heat exhaustion, move to a cool space, sip water, lie down, and place cool cloths on your neck and wrists. If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 immediately.

4. Treat every cookout like a food safety lesson

Most summer food poisoning comes from food left out too long. The "danger zone" for bacterial growth is between 40°F and 140°F.

Do this: Cold food stays in the cooler until you serve it. Hot food comes off the grill and onto plates. Anything that has been sitting out longer than two hours — or one hour if it is above 90°F outside — goes in the trash, not back in the fridge. Wash your hands. Keep raw meat away from anything you will eat as-is.

5. Respect the water

Drowning is fast, quiet, and one of the leading causes of accidental death in the summer — especially for children.

Do this: Never swim alone. Designate a "water watcher" for kids — an adult whose only job is watching the pool, not their phone. Wear a life vest in open water, even if you are a strong swimmer. Check tide and current conditions before going in the ocean.

6. Keep your medications out of the heat

Most prescription medications lose potency above 86°F. A car in the sun can hit 130°F in minutes. Insulin, EpiPens, inhalers, and many antibiotics are especially heat-sensitive.

Do this: Never leave medications in the car. If you are traveling, pack them in an insulated bag with a cool pack — not directly on ice. Ask your pharmacist about heat tolerance for any prescription you take regularly.

7. Defend against bugs and allergens

Mosquito and tick bites are not just itchy — they are how Lyme disease, West Nile, and other illnesses spread. Summer also drives spikes in grass pollen and mold for allergy sufferers.

Do this: Use insect repellent with at least 20% DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin when you are outside. Check yourself, your kids, and your pets for ticks after any time in tall grass or wooded areas. If you have seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor before symptoms peak — managing them early is far easier than reacting once you are miserable.

8. Do not skip recovery

Summer schedules get packed — late nights, travel, full weekends, extra obligations. Your body and mind still need recovery.

Do this: Protect your sleep. Use your PTO — actually unplug. Move your body in ways you enjoy, not just ways you feel you "should." If your mental health is taking a hit, reach out. Recovery is not optional. It is what makes the rest of this list work.

When to use virtual care — and when to call 911

Many summer health questions can be answered without a trip to urgent care or the ER. Things like mild sunburn, a suspicious bug bite, an upset stomach after a cookout, low-grade fever, a small cut, or a question about a new rash — those are perfect for a quick virtual visit with a physician.

But some situations are true emergencies. Call 911 immediately for:

Signs of heat stroke (confusion, no sweating, very high body temperature)
Severe allergic reactions (trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat)
Chest pain or trouble breathing
Severe bleeding or major injury
Loss of consciousness
Suspected drowning
Suspected stroke (sudden weakness, slurred speech, drooping face)

Skip the ER for non-emergencies — call 911 for true emergencies.

How Apex Health Educates Client Populations

This playbook is one example of how we work with our employer clients. Education like this — practical, physician-reviewed, and built into the rhythm of the year — is part of the Apex Health service model. We pair it with 24/7 access to ER-trained physicians, integrated care management, and a predict-care-integrate framework that catches small issues before they become large claims.

The result for employees is fewer bad days. The result for employers is fewer preventable claims hitting the bottom line.

If your organization is interested in how we deliver this layer of care alongside your existing carrier and broker — without disruption — reach out to our team.