Spring Break Health Smarts: 6 Reasons Your Teen Should Seek Medical Care in Paradise by Joyce Knestrick, CRNP, FAANP

It’s spring break time, and young adults everywhere are ready to shake off the winter blues with a memorable adventure. What is often a rite of passage for older kids is also a source of despair for parents. As parents load bank accounts with emergency funds and phones with emergency numbers, don’t forget to talk about the seemingly common sense – but not always so obvious – reasons that teens should seek medical help on the road:

• They have difficulty breathing.

• They can’t stop bleeding, especially after 10 minutes of pressure.

• They have a severe reaction to an insect bite, medication or food.
  

• They break a bone or have severe swelling that makes normal activity hard.

• They have any sort of head injury that causes a headache, dizziness, upset stomach or blurred vision.

• They lose consciousness for any reason, including alcohol and drug use.

When in doubt, encourage your teen to see a provider, and don’t forget about urgent care clinics staffed by nurse practitioners for fast, reliable help when they’re away from home!

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community. Inspire ... and be inspired.