Summer is one of the favorite seasons of most of the people, living across the United States. Almost everyone looks forward to the summer, mainly so that they can head to the beach, go camping or trekking, set up their barbeques, chill out by a poolside, or just take a picnic lunch to the park and enjoy it with their families. Unfortunately, there are a few health problems that crop up or worsen, mainly during this time of the year and the last thing you need is a trip to the doctor, to ruin your summer. The good news is that you can deal with many of these summer problems on your own, using fairly simple and natural remedies. Some of the most common summer ailments and the remedies to deal with them include:

Heat strokes

1) Swimmer's Ear
This is an infection that affects your ear when you dip your ears in pool or sea water and then, dry them out in the sunshine. In case you suffer from a swimmer’s ear, you are likely to see a discharge from the ear and experience itchiness at the same time. Many people deal with this problem, using a cotton bud, but this can worsen the infection significantly. Some of the home remedies you can use for relief from a swimmer’s ear include a mixture of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol, apple cider vinegar, baby oil and warm compresses. Alternately, you could also use over the counter sprays and anti-inflammatory ear drops to deal with the problem. This infection can recur, so you need to take steps to prevent it; cover your ears or use ear plugs when you go swimming. In case the infection does not subside within a couple of days, you need to consult a doctor.

2) Heat strokes (Sunstrokes and dehydration)
These problems occur if you exercise or are very active in hot conditions, but do not drink an adequate amount of fluids. This causes your body to absorb more heat, which raises your body temperature to an alarming level. Both sunstroke and dehydration are characterized by headaches, fainting spells and heavy perspiration. A heat stroke is a fairly serious ailment, which needs to be treated immediately. In case you feel a heat stroke coming on, it is important for you to move to a shaded area immediately and apply cool water on the skin, to promote evaporation and cool your skin. Consume a lot of water immediately. Even if you do feel better, make sure that you visit a doctor, as this is a medical problem.

3) Prickly heat
This is one of the most common maladies that people of all ages suffer from in the summer. It is usually caused by excessive sweating in humid climates and is marked by the appearance of small reddish blisters and bumps on the skin. While the rash can appear on any part, it is more likely to affect those areas that sweat the most, like the back, shoulders and the forehead. Prickly heat rash causes a lot of itchiness, but you need to avoid scratching, or else the infection could spread and worsen.

4) Conjunctivitis
While these eye infections can occur at any time of the year, they are more common during the summers. The signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness, itchiness and this mucus discharge from both the eyes. It is highly contagious and spreads easily from one person to the other. To treat the condition, your doctor may need to give you antibiotics. However, there are several home remedies that you can also use for relief from the pain and symptoms, like warm or cold compresses. It is also important to avoid any irritants like smoke, dust, pollen and other such allergens. Make sure that you follow an eye care routine, by cleaning your eyes a few times during the day.

5) Athlete’s foot
This is a very common fungal infection, characterized by cracked skin between the toes. Gradually, the infection also spreads to the soles as well as the sides of the feet. When you spend a lot of time around water, your feet usually get wet, warm and soggy, which is the ideal environment for fungi. You can avoid this problem, by drying your feet thoroughly. There are also several over the counter anti-fungal creams that can help in the treatment of this condition. However, you need to continue using such creams for at least a week after the rash disappears, as the fungi may still be present and can lead to a relapse of the infection. While undergoing treatment, avoid the use of closed shoes or footwear that cause your feet to sweat a lot.

Of course, there are many other problems that are noticed in people, during the summer months. Fortunately, you can reduce the risks of such problems by wearing the appropriate clothing, using sun blocks and mosquito repellants and staying hydrated.