Travel Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

travel safety

It has always been important to keep travel safety in mind, but this is doubly so as a result of the pandemic. After such a long time spent in lockdown, many Americans are planning to travel. If you plan to travel soon, whether you’re traveling within California or leaving the state, then planning ahead will be essential.

Travel Safety Tips During the Pandemic

First and foremost, identify what the vaccination requirements are for the place you’re traveling to. Even if your destination doesn’t have any vaccination requirements, it’s a good idea to get vaccinated for COVID-19 either way. It’s also important to realize that COVID-19 isn’t the only vaccine requirement certain destinations have. You may also need the MMR vaccine before you travel.

Do not wait until the last minute to get any required vaccinations. Some vaccinations require multiple shots (such as the COVID-19 vaccine), while others need time for your body to build up immunity, such as the yellow fever vaccine (which you’ll need to get 10 days prior to your travel date).

In addition to getting all of the required vaccinations for your destination, the following are a few other travel safety tips:

  • If you have any medical conditions and prescription medications that you take for those conditions, carry a physician’s letter that describes both with you.
  • Write down essential personal medical information on a card (such as your conditions, blood type, and more) and carry this card everywhere you go.
  • If you’re taking any prescribed medications with you, leave them in their original containers instead of transferring them to a pill case.
  • Check with the embassy in the country you’re traveling to (if you’re leaving the states) to find out if your prescription medications are legal there.
  • Bring masks with you. You will not be able to fly in the states without a mask, and many foreign countries still have mask requirements as well.

These are a few travel safety tips to keep in mind as you travel during the pandemic. For more information about traveling safety or about getting vaccinated, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Your Eyes and UV Light Radiation

uv light protection

UV light radiation can cause both short-term and long-term damage to your eyes. Unfortunately, not enough people pay attention to the importance of protecting their eyes, especially during the summer. People expose themselves during California summers because they spend more time outside.

To spread more awareness about the need to protect your eyes, July has been designated as UV Safety Awareness Month.

Damage Caused by UV Light Radiation

Exposure can result in a number of short-term symptoms affecting your vision. These symptoms include eye irritation, red eyes, and photokeratitis (which is known as corneal sunburn and can cause temporary vision loss). These symptoms can occur within 15 minutes after exposure. However, it’s the long-term vision problems caused by UV light radiation that is of real concern.

These problems include:

  • Cancer – While you can’t get eye cancer, you can get skin cancer of the eyelids.
  • Cataracts – Cataracts occur when the eye’s natural lens is clouded over. Roughly 10% of all cataracts are said to be caused by exposure.
  • Macular degeneration – Macular degeneration is the leading cause of age-related blindness. UV light exposure increases the risk of macular degeneration, which results from retinal damage over time.
  • Pterygium – Pterygium is a pink growth that forms over the white of the eye. It’s been referred to as “surfer’s eye.”

Safety Tips to Protect Against UV Light Radiation

The following can help protect against the damages of UV light radiation:

  • Keep in mind that clouds do not block it.
  • Never look directly at the sun.
  • Wear a hat to help shade against exposure, especially if you’re in direct sunlight, on the beach or outside.
  • Wear sunglasses if you plan on going outside for an extended period of time.

Understand the potential risks and take the necessary precautions when spending time outside this summer. For more California summer safety awareness tips, visit us at The Benefits Store.

What Everyone Should Know About Drowning

drowning

When you go swimming in California, odds are you’re not worried about drowning, especially if you learned to swim at a young age. But there is a significant risk when you’re in or on the water, even if you know how to swim. In fact, it is such a problem that it is vital awareness about the risk is encouraged.

Drowning Remains a Large Risk 

The following are a few drowning statistics that showcase just how big of a problem it remains throughout not just California, but the United States:

  • 23% of drownings among children happen in a pool. According to the CDC, 250 children aged five and under drown in pools every year.
  • It is the number one cause of unintentional injury-related deaths amongst children aged four and under.
  • Risk among adults increases due to drug and alcohol use.
  • More than 4,000 people drown in the U.S. alone every year.

How To Reduce the Risk

Follow these tips to ensure that you and your family remain safe when swimming or boating:

  • Avoid alcohol and drugs when swimming or boating.
  • Do not go swimming right after you eat to avoid cramps.
  • If you own a pool, place a barrier around it. A lack of barriers contributes to many deaths.
  • Never let children go swimming without adult supervision. Most incidents involving children occur in familiar surroundings.
  • Review swimming rules with children before taking them near water (not entering the water without an adult nearby, not running around the pool, etc.). 
  • Teach your children how to swim at an early age.

If you plan to be near the water, whether alone or with your children, be sure you understand the risks and take proper precautions. For more California safety tips, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Keeping Our Beaches Clean

beach cleanup

Beach pollution has been a major problem along the coast of California for decades. It’s one of the reasons why a great effort has been made to get people to clean up after themselves and to volunteer to clean their local beaches.

Unfortunately, many people don’t understand just how damaging littering on the beach can be. To help spread awareness of how important it is to keep our beaches clean, July has been designated as Clean Beaches Month.

Why Clean Beaches Month Is Important

It’s vital that California residents and tourists understand the impact they have on the environment when they visit the beach. Leaving behind trash instead of properly throwing it away can contribute to disastrous, global consequences.

Here are ways in which litter on the beach can cause damage to the ecosystem:

Garbage can cause ingestion problems

Birds or ocean wildlife can swallow garbage, causing blockages in their digestive tracts. This leads to starvation. The ingestion of sharp objects can also puncture their stomachs, causing internal bleeding. Plastic ingestion has been a growing problem. In one study, more than 25% of fish around the world were found to have plastic inside of them.

Trash causes entanglement

Plastic bags, 6-pack holders, cans, string, and more can entangle wildlife. Entanglement can cause circulation loss, amputations, and wounds that lead to bacterial infections. It can also drag and weigh wildlife down, making them more vulnerable to predators or making it difficult for them to feed themselves.

Participate In a Beach Cleanup This Month

The first beach clean-up was organized in 1984. Since then, over 228 million pounds of trash have been collected during organized beach cleanups. You can make a difference by participating in a local beach cleanup.

At the very least, be sure to properly throw away your garbage when visiting the beach. And be sure to pick up and throw away any trash you come across. For more about Clean Beaches Month, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Protecting Your Skin From UV Radiation

sunburn
sunburn

UV radiation is yet another thing that you need to worry about if you plan on spending any time outdoors this summer. After all of the time that everyone’s spent in lockdown, the odds are you’re looking to spend some time outside, whether it’s having a picnic at the park, going for a hike, or hitting up the beaches in California. However you decide to enjoy the summer, it’s crucial that you protect your skin against UV radiation. To help spread awareness about the importance of UV radiation protection, July has been designated as UV Safety Awareness Month.

The Dangers of UV Radiation

UV light can come from any number of sources, including tanning beds. However, the primary source is sunlight. Exposure to UV light can cause your skin to wrinkle and leather over time. Short-term exposure can result in painful sunburns. However, long-term overexposure can lead to more serious issues, such as skin cancer. Skin cancer is a serious problem in the U.S. Roughly 5.4 million skin cancers are diagnosed every year, according to the American Cancer Society.

How To Protect Your Skin Against UV Radiation

It’s important to understand that you are still exposing yourself to UV radiation even if there’s cloud cover. Just because the sunlight isn’t hitting you directly doesn’t mean the UV rays aren’t getting through. As such, follow these tips if you plan on being outside, whether there’s cloud cover or not:

  • Wear protective clothing – Loose-fitting clothing can help protect your skin, but be sure to wear a hat and sunglasses as well to shield you against UV rays.
  • Stay in the shade when possible – If you’re going to spend an extended amount of time outside, be sure to stay in the shade, whether it’s under the cover of a tree or under an umbrella.
  • Use sunscreen – Whenever you plan to spend extended time outdoors, apply sunscreen to skin that will be exposed to the sun. Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

Use these safety tips to protect against UV radiation when spending time outside in California. For more summer safety tips, visit us at The Benefits Store today.