Questions tagged [health]
Questions related to staying healthy or dealing with health issues during outdoor activities. Answers given here are not intended as a replacement for professional medical advice. Please do not use this tag to ask for specific medical advice. A Dr should always be consulted to confirm any advice given
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Does anyone know what bug this is?
I have found these bugs around my house on walls and 2 of them in my bed on separate occasions, i have been told they are not bed bugs as they are bigger and have wings but not seen them fly, they ...
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When do you put on long underwear?
Where I live in Canada, winter can be pretty cold. Sometimes -35 C. I work outside for a living and among my work peers there's an age old debate about when is the best time to start wearing long ...
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Is using an electric fly swatter outdoors frowned upon?
When hiking, occassionally there are areas with a ton of mosquitoes (near bodies of still water) or flies (near outhouses, or in the "toilet"). With bug repellent, I still get bitten a lot.
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What body type/shape is ideal for rock climbing?
I have been looking through footage of some of the top rock climbers in the world today (male & female) and what surprised me is how most of them don't physically look that strong and some even ...
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Is it true that drinking calcium carbonate or potash can help with stomach acidity? [closed]
Is it true that drinking calcium carbonate or potash extracted from wood ash can help with stomach acidity ?
one of my friends told me this but i cant swallow it 😂
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First aid: alternatives to hydrogen peroxide
** This question may contain medically unsound advice. Be sure you have read the answers and comments before making any medical decisions **
Recently a friend broke her arm while mountain biking and ...
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How can I cover the upper part of my nose to avoid UV radiations?
I use hat + hood + sunglasses + neck gaiter + UV umbrella to fully covered my face when going outside if too much sun. The problem is the upper part of my nose is not fully covered, e.g.:
Larger pics:...
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Had to drink untreated water: Any immediate action to avoid getting sick?
In the wilderness yesterday I ran out of water and did not think I could hike out safely at my level of hydration. Lacking a treatment method, I drank 1.5 liters of water directly out of a small, ...
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Is it possible to dive having perforation in ears
I have a perforation in my left ear. Is it okay to do scuba diving?
If possible will there be any limitations?
It's a perforation in left outer ear. Small in size.
If scuba diving is not possible with ...
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What is the difference between SPF and UPF, if any?
I read on https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sun_protective_clothing&oldid=930941768:
A relatively new rating designation for sun protective textiles and clothing is UPF (Ultraviolet ...
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Other than good shoes and a stick, what are some ways to preserve your knees on long hikes?
My knees aren’t in the best shape, one in particular. I had a rather devastating 13 hour up-and-down hike on day two of a three day hike, and the last day my knees were hurting every step. What are ...
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Post-hike Care and Pain Relief for Blisters and Hot Spots
There are many, many articles and web sites that will tell you what to do if you develop a hot spot or blister while on the trail, and need to perform some field treatment to allow you to get back in ...
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How should a backpack be carried to keep from injuring the spine?
For example, which recommendations should backpackers follow while carrying heavy weights, and should backpack straps be tightened or loosened?
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Knee injuries prevention using knee protectors
Knee is basically one of the main joints that provides you the ability to walk. There are several ways to prevent or ease the knee pain (see Knee pain when descending a mountain), but I would like to ...
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Is it possible to 'live off the sea'
I've recently become aware of the american 'survivalist' or 'prepper' phenomenon.
The general idea seems to be that 'something bad' (exactly what seems to vary) is going to happen, civilization will ...
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How to find ticks in your hair?
This TGO answer recommends putting possibly tick-infested clothing into a dedicated dryer, where they will be killed by desiccation. The source used in the answer, the Appalachian Mountain Club, ...
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What diseases can be transmitted through skin contact with a dead rabbit?
About a month ago, my youngest son found a dead rabbit in the woods while camping and brought me to the spot to show it. The rabbit looked like it had just died and didn't show any obvious cause of ...
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What are the chances to catch rodent-transmitted illnesses while hiking?
Small warning: This question comes from a germophobe point of view, so please keep this in mind while giving an answer.
I love hiking, but I'm worried of what kind of germs (read virus, bacteria and ...
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Guidelines to reduce risk of exposure to, or infection from Naegleria fowleri? (brain-eating amoeba)
Deaths from the "brain eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri are fairly rare but each is highlighted in the press, as headlines containing brain eating beget clicks.
While it's not yet understood why this ...
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How to improvise a pair of tweezers in the wild?
From slivers caused by chopping wood, thorns from plants, or bee stings there have been times when out in the woods when a pair of tweezers would come in handy and none where on hand. Are there are ...
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Internal (unseen) damage from a 40ft climbing fall [closed]
I am aware that the statistics regarding a 40ft climbing fall, which result in "decking-out" are not favorable. I survived such a fall only recently. Major injuries seem to have only been a broken &...
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Is it possible get a rash from poison ivy but not poison oak?
Both poison ivy and poison oak can cause a red rash on the skin due to an allergic reaction to the chemical urushiol in their oily sap. I've heard people say that they are allergic to either one or ...
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What is the impact/risks of high altitude walking on individuals suffering from High Blood Pressure?
Setting aside the benefits of cardiocavascular exercise in general, what are the risks to hikers/climbers with high blood pressure at various altitudes?
Is there an upper ceilling/threshold that ...
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How to recover from muscle pain during the midst of a multi-day hiking?
When I go on for a multi-day hiking ( say, 7 or 8 days), my leg muscle will get painful in the middle of the hiking ( say, at the 4th day). Usually the muscle pain will take 5 days to heal, but I ...
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Is it okay for a duck/splay footed individual to rock climb?
If an individual walks with a pronounced duck-footed (splayed) gait, and is actively trying to correct this, is there any harm for the individual to begin rock climbing. I feel like a lot of edging ...
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Can I use ear plugs while ascending or descending a mountain?
Can I use ear plugs to block out noise or will my ears need to pop because of the altitude? I don’t want to get sick by using the ear plugs.
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Gymming v.s Outdoor sports, which is better? [closed]
I have been in a dilemma, whether to opt for gymming or to go out to play some sports in my free time. Both seem to be potential components to improve your health. But which one must one prefer over ...
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Is it possible to acclimatize to a cold weather in a short time?
On some of my Himalayan treks I've seen people who wear shorts or wear single layer of clothing and shiver due to the cold weather (most of these people live in a tropical climate). When I've asked ...
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Should one deliberately eat more and put on weight before going on long treks?
Recently I saw a podcast of Alex Honnold with Rich Roll where Alex speaks about deliberately eating up and gaining weight before going on an Antarctic expedition (I'm assuming this is because of the ...
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Using Camphor (Icy Hot) in the winter for warmth
Some products like 'Icy Hot' contain a substance called 'Camphor' that can make your skin feel warm when applied.
It is cold out today (1°F or -17°C). I have been making short trips out to ...
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Is acute mountain sickness repeatable?
Several month ago me and my climbing partner were climbing a mountain over 7000m. In first few day my climbing partner got AMS. It was high-altitude pulmonary edema (he felt very bad, he had strong ...
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Could a tick make several test bites in a circle?
I got my first tick bite recently, on the top of my foot. The tick was latched on. There was a circle of small dots around the tick and a slightly bigger red area close by. They were all there from ...
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Should overweight people ever climb?
I used to be a regular climber, and unfortunately I have put on some serious weight over the last 4 years, and I have not been able to climb as much as would have loved to.
While, I am still working ...
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How long until I develop immunity to stomach flu / travelers' disease?
I was in Nepal two years ago and got the stomach flu. Last time I was only in Kathmandu and Pokhara and didn't do any trekking, so it was not critical, although it was very unpleasant.
Two years ...
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Hiking and climbing in smoky areas
This Fall, there are a lot of large fires burning in the pacific northwest of the US and the air quality on many trails and mountains is poor as a result. This makes hiking and climbing unpleasant, ...
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How can I care for a wound that will be immersed in water?
I got a fairly bad cut on my leg, not quite bad enough for stitches but will probably leave a scar. I have a camping trip planned this weekend at a lake where we will go swimming and kayaking. I ...
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How should I prepare my body for prolonged exposure to heat?
Today I hiked for about 4 hours, and I ended up with sun stroke (terrible headache, trembling etc.). The heat was moderate (about 30°C, 86°F in shade), and the way was half in forest. I had a baseball ...
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Can overexertion cause AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)?
Recently I did a trek in the Himalayan region and one of the group members was affected by what we believed was AMS at around 4600m.
We had to evacuate the person from there and get to around 4100m ...
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Does shaving help prevent tick bites?
This one is based on an actual experience - One summer I went on a trail through waist-high grass with a friend. We were both wearing shorts, but my friend had hairy legs, while mine were shaved. ...
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How can I make sure there are no more ticks around?
I'm back from outdoors and while lying down in bed I noticed a tiny tiny insect walking around on my clothes. While trying to take a picture of it to see if it is a tick, it just disappeared and I ...
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Why did people rub snow on frozen feet?
If you read old books from cold areas, it's not infrequent to run across the idea of rubbing snow on one's feet when they got frozen or frostbitten. However, subjectively, it seems to me that this ...
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SPF Equivalence [duplicate]
With SPF 30 sunscreen, I am usually protected for an entire day and wont be getting more than a little darker. Now, I am getting low on SPF 30 cream but I have a large supply of SPF 15. Can I just use ...
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What are the pros and cons of greased feet in boots?
I was just reading this answer at Can you keep your feet warm in ski boots on a very cold day?
Yes, add fat to your feet. I don't mean gain weight. Just slather it on before putting socks on. ...
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Easiest way to preserve a fishing catch - with cooking or pickling
I'm looking for the easiest way to cook or preserve fish at the river or lakeside with as minimal preparation or cooking involved so they can be eaten later. Mainly trout, pike or walleye. Ideally I ...
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How can I purify non-drinkable water that may have had organisms in it? [duplicate]
I am currently living in the Galápagos Islands. They have no drinking tap water, and the water they provide is not recommended to drink. I got an acute gastroenteritis from it. Here they told me it is ...
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Vaseline or Teflon grease near potable water?
I want to install a deck plate in the top of the fresh water tank of my camp trailer (RV) to allow for cleaning the inside at the start of the season. The product I am looking at recommends "...
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Why would fatigue cause fever?
I've already experienced this twice.
The first time was a year ago, on a hiking camp: on the first day I recklessly went out with one of the best groups there, and while I didn't lag behind, this was ...
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Does acid rain somehow directly harm human beings?
Hiking in the rain often left me with thoughts about acid rain. I wonder if I'm able to recognize it and if yes, how strong the recognizable symptoms are.
Are there any direct (forest dieback etc. ...
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Is linen a good or bad choice for underwear when (hitch)hiking in hot and/or tropical weather?
I've recently learned that linen underwear is great against fungal infections that can be contracted in hot sweaty conditions.
But elsewhere I had read that the best fabrics against sweaty or ...
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What kind of creme could Ueli Steck be possibly using and why?
Watching this youtube-video I asked myself if Ueli Steck is using some kind of regeneration creme.
Most likely nobody will know for sure from the footage but I would be really interested what tricks ...
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