Summer can be the best time of the year – full of outdoor fun, vacations, family gatherings and great eating. While you're planning your trips and get-togethers, don't forget to plan for safety and health. In avoiding summer's miseries and mishaps, an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure. Have fun, not regrets, this summer.

Here is some basic advice for having a safe summer. These are highlights, not every fact on the topic, but they'll give you a good foundation and some timely reminders. For medical questions, always check with your physician.

SUN SENSE
Before you head outdoors, take a moment to apply your sunscreen. An all-day sunblock with an SPF of at least 30 will protect you reasonably well for hours. Apply it generously. Make it a habit and you won't have leathery skin as your souvenir of summer.

• Purchase fresh sunscreen each summer. Don't rely on products more than one year old.
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming, water sports or heavy exercise.
• Stay out of the midday sun – especially if it's blazing hot – to minimize sun exposure as well as your risk of heat illness. Get a big, stylish hat and quality sunglasses for extra protection.

HEAT WAVE
Heat has been especially dangerous in recent years. Don't underestimate it. It can kill. The elderly are especially vulnerable, so keep on eye on older family members, friends and neighbors during a heat wave. Take care of them if necessary. Sometimes when the temperatures soar, older people and ill people can't think straight and thus can't take the initiative for getting to a cooler place.

Heat can be dangerous even if you're not elderly or infirm. People who work outdoors, athletes who train outdoors and persons who take diuretics (water pills) are also at greater risk. Heat illness can sneak up on people. Don't try to prove how tough you are. Do your best to avoid extreme heat. Stay in air-conditioned or ventilated buildings when the temperature is high. Exercise in the cool of the day or in an air-conditioned gym. Drink extra water. Keep it handy wherever you are.

How hot is hot? We all know that 100-plus temperatures are bad, but with high humidity, even the 90s can be dangerous. In hot weather, drink lots of fluids and keep as cool as possible.

Learn the symptoms of heat illnesses and what to do about them. You could save a life.

• Heat cramps are muscle spasms, usually in the legs or abdomen. Let the victim rest in a cool place and give him a sports drink or water. Rest and fluids are usually adequate treatment, according to the American Red Cross.
• Heat exhaustion is more severe. The victim may feel weak, faint and nauseous, look ashen and have a rapid heartbeat. He will be feverish. He may be sweating. Get him into a cool place immediately and have him lie down, feet elevated slightly, advises the Mayo Clinic. Have him drink cool (not iced) water or an electrolyte sports drink, and cool him by spraying with cool water or fanning. Keep a close watch because heat exhaustion can quickly become heat stroke (see below).
• Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition and victims need immediate medical care. The main sign is a rise in body temperature, above 103 degrees F (taken orally), says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The victim often is confused or could be unconscious. His skin may be hot and either dry or moist. Move the victim to a cooler area and call 911 or your local emergency number. While waiting for emergency help to arrive, cool the person with damp cloths, spray with cool water, and fan him.

INSECT PESTS
With West Nile virus already on the move this summer, take precautions against the mosquitoes that spread it. Here is advice from the CDC and other agencies.

• Drain any standing water, which provides a breeding area for the pests.
• Check your screens for a secure fit and fix any holes.
• Avoid mosquito-infested areas during biting hours, generally dusk to dawn.
• Use double protection if you must be outdoors in mosquito areas. Wear long pants, socks and long sleeves, and spray your clothing with insect repellent containing permethrin or DEET, advises the CDC. Although we try to avoid these chemicals, they are effective in repelling mosquitoes so may be the lesser of two evils (the other being West Nile virus).

FOOD SAFETY
With picnics, barbecues, travel and just plain hot weather, you need to be extra cautious about food spoiling. Perishable food needs to be stored safely, cooked properly and eaten promptly. Some key advice:

• Don't leave food out uncovered.
• Don't leave food out more than one hour in hot weather (more than 90 degrees F).
• For transporting perishable foods, use coolers and lots of ice blocks to keep your food below 40 degrees F.
• Don't use the same platter for your cooked barbecue foods that you used to carry the uncooked burgers and chicken to the grill.
• For barbecues, cook foods thoroughly. Hamburger should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F and chicken breasts, 170 degrees F, says the American Dietetic Association.

CLEANLINESS
Take along hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes this summer to kill germs wherever you travel. Use paper towels on doorknobs and door handles in public restrooms. Wash up before preparing food and before you eat.

SWIMMING & WATER SPORTS
Here's a case where water and alcohol don't mix. Alcohol can cloud your judgment while lowering your inhibitions, causing you to take chances. Meanwhile, your reaction times are slower and your coordination gone, and accidents can be deadly.

For parents, make sure responsible adults are supervising any children in the water. Don't let any distractions take your attention from the children in your care. Let the phone ring. Let the adult guests get their own drinks. Don't feel like you're being rude if you don't engage in rapt conversation with guests. You need to keep your eyes on the prize – those kids in the water. Also, don't expect children to supervise siblings.

LIGHTNING
If you're on the hiking trail, at an outdoor sporting event or just swimming at a pool and you see dark clouds with flashes of light, take steps to avoid being struck by lightning.

• If you can get indoors or into a fully enclosed metal vehicle, do so.
• In a car, keep the windows up and your hands in your lap.
• In the woods, take shelter under shorter tress.
• In the open, don't stand under the only tree around; go to a low spot away from metal objects, but don't pick a spot subject to flooding. Squat low to make yourself a smaller target.
• Avoid open fields, metal bleachers, high ground, caves and all outdoor metal objects, says the National Lightning Safety Institute.

Take care of health and safety first, and you're ready for the best summer ever. Hit the trail, swim, golf, and take that road trip – without paying the price the hard way.