TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — One summer outbreak has been dominating the headlines, but inside doctor's offices across metro Detroit, it's far from the only thing keeping families busy.
I recently talked to a local emergency room and a family physician to show you what else doctors are seeing this summer and what's bugging metro Detroit.
Watch Keenan Smith's report below
Bikes, scooters, playgrounds, pools: summer means kids are outside, moving faster ant taking more risks. And at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Troy, that changes what comes through the emergency room doors.
Dr. Karolina Maksimowski with ER Services at DMC Children's Troy says doctors are seeing bike crashes, e-scooter accidents, playground falls and more head injuries, especially when kids are riding without helmets.
"We're very much in our warm months, right? So trauma season, we always say, is right around the corner," said Dr. Maksimowski. "We 100 percent want our kids to be outside playing and having a good time. But if we are going to be on anything with wheels, whether it's motorized or non-motorized, making sure that we're taking all the appropriate precautions."
That starts with a properly-fitted helmet, supervision and a safe place to ride away from traffic. But summer is not just bumps, breaks and bruises.
"Gastroenteritis is really the big one that we seeing at the moment," Dr. Maksimowski said.
In terms of symptoms, she says to watch for vomiting that will not stop, an inability to keep fluids down, less urination, weakness, or a kid who just isn't acting like themselves. The heat can add dehydration, fainting-like episodes and asthma flare-ups.
Tick-borne disease is also climbing. The state recorded 173 Lyme Disease reports during the week ending on July 4, more than double the 85 cases reported the month before.
"Ticks can be super, super tiny, very easy to miss. They can almost look like a tiny little mole," Dr. Maksimowski said.
After a day at camp, a hike or time in tall grass, make sure to check your child's scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, around the waist and behind the knees. And this summer mix is not limited to kids.
"Nowadays I'm starting to see a lot of people who are coming in with either some dizziness, they have a cough or perhaps they have some stomach pains," said Dr. Darion Twitty, a family physician with Henry Ford Health in Royal Oak.
Dr. Twitty said dizziness is often tied to dehydration, a big problem with our recent big heat. Coughs may come from allergies, asthma or viral respiratory infections.
"All the infections that you get during the winter, they do not simply disappear during the summer," Dr. Twitty said.
And even though it is July, preliminary MDHHS data shows respiratory issues, including flu and RSV, are still being reported across Michigan. And then there are injuries from summer activities.
"One of the most common that I'm seeing are actually pickleball injuries," Dr. Twitty said.
He says ankles, elbows, shoulders and rotator cuffs can all take a hit, especially people jump into a game without any warm-up.
"I have had these conversations a lot. Stretching is so important," Dr. Twitty said.
His advice: take 3-5 minutes to stretch before and after playing.
"Before you do any type of physical activity, especially sports where you're going to be straining those muscles all the time, that helps tremendously," Dr. Twitty said.
If you do find a tick after a day outside, Dr. Karolina Maksimowski says to not panic: use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the ticks as close to the skin as possible, pull straight up with steady pressure and make sure the entire tick is removed. Make to avoid crushing it or using home remedies like heat or petroleum jelly.
