Answers
Get expert answers from our doctors on wilderness medicine, outdoor safety, and health topics for your outdoor adventures.
Do you need a rabies shot if you wake up with a bat in your room?
Waking up with a bat in your room can mean you need rabies shots, even if you can't find a bite. Keep the bat in the room and call your health department as soon as you can, because testing the bat can rule out rabies and spare you the shots.
Should you pee on a jellyfish sting?
Don't pee on a jellyfish sting: there's no evidence it helps, and urine may make it hurt more. Instead, rinse the sting with seawater, pick off any tentacles with tweezers or a gloved hand, and soak it in hot water to ease the pain.
At what UV index do you need sunscreen?
Protect your skin whenever the UV Index, the forecast strength of the sun's skin-damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays, is 3 or higher. Stay in the shade when you can, wear a hat and clothing, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher on any skin left bare. Check the number even on a cool or cloudy day.
When does ragweed allergy season start and when does it peak?
In most of the US, ragweed pollen season starts in early August and peaks in mid-September. It usually runs six to ten weeks, tapering through October and ending after the first hard frost. Shortening daylight sets the start, so a hot summer doesn't move it much.
What's the right way to remove a bee stinger?
Get a bee stinger out as fast as you can with whatever works first: scrape it off with a fingernail, or pinch it and pull. Speed matters more than method, because venom keeps entering from the stinger for up to about a minute. Then wash and cool the sting. If your face or throat swells, or you have difficulty breathing, use an epinephrine auto-injector if you have one, and call 911.
How can I avoid getting caught in a flash flood?
To avoid getting caught in a flash flood, check the forecast for where you're going and for the land upstream, treat a Flash Flood Warning as an order to reach higher ground, never drive or walk into water on a road, and don't camp in a dry wash or canyon bottom when rain is possible anywhere upstream. Flash floods can come from rain you never see.
Do you need antibiotics after a tick bite?
Antibiotics after a tick bite are recommended only for a high-risk bite: a blacklegged (deer) tick that was swollen with blood or attached 36 hours or more, removed within the last 72 hours, in an area where Lyme disease is common. Then a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline is worth asking a clinician about. Either way, watch for a rash or fever over the next 30 days.
Can you get hypothermia when it's above freezing?
Yes, hypothermia can set in well above freezing. Even above 40°F, getting chilled by rain, sweat or cold water can be enough, and wind speeds up the heat loss. A long, cold day also uses up the stored energy your body burns to stay warm.
Is it safe to swim in a lake with an algal bloom?
Brief contact with a lake in bloom usually causes only mild skin, eye, or stomach upset in a healthy adult, but swimming in or swallowing scummy water can make you much sicker. Blue-green algae blooms put small children and dogs at higher risk than healthy adults. If the water looks discolored or scummy or smells bad, stay out.
What should I do in an Extreme Heat Watch?
An Extreme Heat Watch is your window to prepare. The dangerous heat is not certain yet, so line up a cool place, plan to scale back outdoor activity, and keep drinking water while you've still got time. Check on older neighbors, young children, and anyone with a chronic illness. Never leave a child or pet in a parked car, and learn the warning signs of heat illness.
What are normal symptoms of wildfire smoke exposure, and what are the warning signs?
Most wildfire-smoke symptoms are minor: coughing, a scratchy throat, stinging eyes, a runny nose, or a headache, and they ease in cleaner air. But there are warning signs that mean you should act. See a doctor for shortness of breath or a cough that won't stop, and call 911 for severe trouble breathing, chest pain, or signs of a heart attack or stroke.
Who is most at risk from wildfire smoke?
The people most at risk from wildfire smoke are those with lung disease (asthma, COPD) or heart disease, children under 18, adults 65 and older, and pregnant people, along with outdoor workers and people with fewer resources. For them, smoke can trigger attacks that need emergency care and can be fatal.
Is it safe to work outside in wildfire smoke?
Working outside in wildfire smoke is a real hazard, and unlike a workout you often can't just stop. Breathing fine particles can reduce lung function and worsen heart and lung conditions. Different states have different regulations, so check your local OSHA rules. For example, in California, employers must offer respirators like N95s once the PM2.5 AQI hits 151 and require them above 500.
Is it safe to exercise outside in wildfire smoke?
You can exercise outside in light smoke, but scale back as it thickens. For a healthy adult, ease off long or hard efforts once the air quality (AQI) is above 150, move workouts indoors above 200, and stop outdoor activity above 300. People with asthma or heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should cut back a band earlier, above 100.
Do cloth or surgical masks protect against wildfire smoke?
Not well. Cloth face coverings should not be relied on for wildfire smoke, and surgical or one-strap masks don't seal to your face, so they give only limited protection. What actually works against smoke particles is a well-fitted, NIOSH-approved N95, because the seal, not the fabric, decides how much you breathe in.
Is wildfire smoke dangerous to your health?
It can be. Wildfire smoke can be a real health hazard, not just a nuisance. Its fine particles (PM2.5) reach deep into your lungs and can worsen asthma and heart and lung conditions, and at high levels bring on coughing and trouble breathing. For most healthy people, limited exposure isn't a problem, but people with heart or lung disease, children, older adults, and pregnant people need to be careful.
At what AQI should you wear a mask outdoors?
There's no hard and fast rule here. High AQI (poor air quality) can be from multiple sources, and a mask only helps against fine particles like wildfire smoke, not gases such as ozone. But for smoke, a well-fitted N95 is worth it when air moves into the Unhealthy range (AQI 151+). Moving indoors and reducing activity are safest, but a mask can help for those times you have to be outside.
At what AQI should you move a workout indoors?
There's no official AQI for moving a workout indoors, but the air-quality bands make the call. A healthy adult can stay outside through the Unhealthy range (151-200), easing off long or hard efforts, and should move exercise indoors once the air turns Very Unhealthy (201+). Sensitive groups, like older adults and kids, should move in from 151.
What AQI is safe for kids to play outside?
There's no exact "safe" AQI for kids, but because children's lungs are still developing they feel poor air sooner than adults. Outdoor play is fine at an AQI of 100 or below; from 101 keep it shorter and gentler; move hard play indoors from 151 (Unhealthy); and keep all activity indoors by 201 (Very Unhealthy).
What AQI is safe for exercising outdoors?
No single AQI (air quality index) number makes outdoor exercise safe or unsafe, because how much pollution you breathe in also depends on how hard and how long you go. A healthy adult can train normally up to an AQI of 100, cut back on long or hard efforts above 150, and take exercise indoors above 200. Sensitive groups should ease off earlier, above 100.
Is it safe to exercise outdoors with asthma when air quality is poor?
Yes, people with asthma can often still exercise outdoors when air quality is poor, but with more care than others, since dirty air can worsen asthma and trigger attacks. Ease off once the air quality (AQI) goes over 100, avoid hard outdoor efforts and move indoors above 150, and always keep your quick-relief inhaler handy.
What are the warning signs of heat stroke?
The clearest warning sign of heat stroke is a change in mental state (confusion, slurred speech, or passing out) in someone who is overheated. Other signs are a very high body temperature, hot skin (dry or sweaty), a rapid strong pulse, and sometimes seizures. Heat stroke is a medical emergency: call 911 and start cooling the person right away.
What is the first aid for heat exhaustion?
For heat exhaustion, move the person to a cool place, remove extra clothing, and cool them with cold compresses or cold water on the head, face, and neck. Give cool water to sip. Get medical help if they don't improve or get worse. If they turn confused or can't stay awake, treat it as heat stroke: call 911 and give nothing to drink.
When should you call 911 for heat illness?
Call 911 right away for heat stroke: anyone who is overheated and confused, slurring their speech, or not fully conscious. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, so make the call and start cooling them while you wait. For heat exhaustion, start cooling them and get medical help if symptoms are severe or don't improve, since heat exhaustion can lead quickly to heat stroke in the wrong environment.
What are the symptoms of heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion sets in when you lose too much water and salt through heavy sweating. Watch for a headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, and thirst, with a fast, weak pulse. The reliable sign that it's still heat exhaustion, not heat stroke, is a clear head; confusion means heat stroke, even if the person is still sweating.
What do the AQI numbers and color categories mean?
The Air Quality Index (AQI) sorts air into six color-coded bands: green (0-50, Good), yellow (51-100, Moderate), orange (101-150, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), red (151-200, Unhealthy), purple (201-300, Very Unhealthy), and maroon (301 and higher, Hazardous). At or below 100, the air is generally satisfactory.
How do you keep the air inside your home clean during a smoke event?
During a wildfire smoke event, keep indoor air clean by sealing the house first: close windows and doors, and set any air conditioner to recirculate. Then filter the air with a MERV 13 HVAC filter, a portable air cleaner, or a box fan taped to a MERV 13 furnace filter. Avoid adding indoor smoke from frying, candles, or vacuuming.
How do you tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke?
What separates heat stroke from heat exhaustion is altered mental status, a change in how clearly the person thinks . Heat exhaustion leaves the nervous system uninjured, so the person still makes sense and can answer you . Heat stroke adds confusion, slurred speech, seizures or loss of consciousness . Treat that change as an emergency. Cool the person immediately and call for help .
How can I prepare for a heat wave?
Prepare for a heat wave before it lands. Line up air conditioning you can reach ; if you can't, wet your skin and use a fan, since a dry fan in very hot air mostly pushes warm air around . Go in hydrated, schedule outdoor work and exercise around the heat , and ease in: adapting to heat takes about a week you haven't had yet.
What is an Extreme Heat Watch?
An Extreme Heat Watch is the National Weather Service's early heat alert: conditions are favorable for an extreme heat event, but the exact timing is still uncertain, so it's issued ahead of time to help you prepare. It sits one step below an Extreme Heat Warning, which means dangerous heat is expected or already happening.
Do N95 masks protect you from wildfire smoke?
A well-fitting NIOSH-approved N95 does filter the fine particles that make wildfire smoke harmful, but getting a good fit is important. A surgical mask offers only a little protection, and a cloth mask should not be relied on. The most effective step you can take is staying indoors, with a portable air cleaner to help clean your air.
What regulations cover heat illness for workers in the United States?
Federal OSHA currently uses the General Duty Clause to enforce heat safety but proposed the first federal heat standard in 2024. Five states—California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota—have enacted their own standards requiring protections when temperatures reach 80°F or higher.
How do I prepare for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park this Fall?
Bring plenty of water (at least one gallon per person daily), wear sun protection including a wide-brimmed hat and SPF 30+ sunscreen, dress in layers for temperature swings from 70°F days to 40°F nights, and pack all food and supplies since none are available inside the park.
How do I prepare for a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this Fall?
Fall hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains requires layered clothing for 10-20°F temperature drops with elevation, the Ten Essentials including navigation tools and extra insulation, 3-4 quarts of water daily, and awareness of bears and trail hazards. Plan to arrive before dark, carry a headlamp, and pack rain gear since weather can change rapidly even during fall's typically dry season.
When is the air quality safe for outdoor activities after wildfire smoke?
Use the Air Quality Index (AQI) to determine safety. AQI of 50 or below (green) is safe for everyone. AQI 51-100 (yellow) is generally acceptable. Above 100 (orange), sensitive groups should limit outdoor activity. Above 150 (red), everyone should avoid vigorous activities. Use the GOES App for real-time information.
Is bear spray effective, and how do I use it correctly?
Bear spray is highly effective, with 90-92% success rates in deterring bears. Carry it in an accessible holster, and when a bear charges within 60 feet, remove the safety clip and spray at a downward angle to create a barrier cloud. Practice beforehand and check your canister's expiration date.
How can I tell if it's too dangerous to be outdoors during a thunderstorm?
If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck by lightning and should seek shelter immediately. Use the 30-30 rule: if fewer than 30 seconds pass between lightning and thunder, you're in danger. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside.
How do you tell the difference between black bears and grizzly (brown) bears?
Look for a shoulder hump (grizzly) or higher rump (black bear), plus face shape, ear size, and claw length to safely identify bear species.
How do you tell the difference between a coral snake and other snakes?
Look for red bands touching yellow/white bands combined with a black snout and bands that completely circle the body, but remember the rhyme "red touches yellow, kill a fellow" only works reliably in the United States.
What should I do if I see a bear while hiking?
If you see a bear while hiking, stay calm, do not run, slowly back away while talking in a calm voice, and make yourself appear larger by slowly raising your arms above your head. Most bears want to avoid humans and will leave the area if they detect your presence....
How do I prevent mosquito bites?
Use EPA-approved repellents with DEET or picaridin on exposed skin, wear long sleeves and pants, and treat clothes with permethrin for best protection against mosquitoes. Use proven bug repellents on your skin. Apply EPA-approved repellents containing DEET (20-30%) or picaridin (20%). These work for 6-12 hours and are safe...
How can I stay safe around rattlesnakes?
Most rattlesnake bites happen when people interact with snakes on purpose, not by accident. The Wilderness Medical Society reports that most bites occur when people try to catch, kill, or bother snakes. This often happens when people have been drinking alcohol. The best protection is learning about snake behavior and...
What should I do if I get altitude sickness?
Stop ascending immediately and rest. If symptoms worsen or don't improve, descend 1,000-3,300 feet until you feel better.