Be aware if you’re at the beach

With the Gulf of Mexico oil spill affecting wildlife and commerce at the beach, there’s also a chance it could effect your health if you’re paying a visit this summer.
If you’re headed down to the beach for vacation, the Alabama Department of Public Health has some advice for you. In light of the oil spill, ADPH is advising people to pay even greater attention to posted advisories at the beach.
They are also advising:
• If you are close to the Gulf Coast you may detect an odor as a result of the oil spill. Some people also may be sensitive to any change in air quality, which could cause symptoms such as lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting or headaches. If you have these symptoms, authorities recommend you consider staying indoors, ventilating your home with air conditioning, and avoiding strenuous outdoor activity. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness, you should consider communicating with your physician if you feel symptomatic.
• Wash your hands before eating and if a fish smells or tastes like oil, don’t eat it.
• Avoid direct contact with the oil. If oil or tar gets on your skin, wash with soap and water and launder any clothes that comes in contact with oil.
•  There is no need to use harsh detergents, solvents or other chemicals to wash oil from skin or clothing, and it is discouraged.