Prep for your weekend of music and festivities

Story by: Lynne Choate on July 15, 2016

Crowd surfing, drinking your favorite adult beverage and jamming to great live music are all on tap this weekend as the Forecastle Festival takes over Louisville’s Waterfront Park.

Before you flash your all-access pass, spend a few minutes preparing to stay healthy so you come out of the weekend in as good of shape as when you went in.

BYOB: Planning to spend time in the Bourbon Lodge? Be sure to bring an empty water bottle so that you can pair your libations with plenty of water. The venue will have three hydration stations offering free filtered water. Experts recommend drinking a 2:1 ratio of water and alcohol: 2 servings of water for every 1 serving of beer or spirits. By doubling up on water, your body will be better able to regulate temperature, you’ll sweat (a good thing!) and reduce your risk for dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Crowd surfing? Reconsider: Putting your life in the hands of others — especially complete strangers who may have had too much to drink — is not the best idea. While it may be exhilarating, this is one of the surest ways for both the surfer and participants to sustain head and neck injuries, sprains, strains, lower back injuries and trauma from falls.

Stay on trend — pale is the new tan: A sunburnt weekend may lead to a whole lot of discomfort now and skin cancer in the future. Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher before you leave for the festival, and bring it with you to reapply later. Reapply every four hours or more depending on how much you sweat. Also consider wearing a hat (wider the brim the better) and sunglasses to protect your eyes.

If you find yourself with an injury or need medical attention, two on-site medical tents will be available all weekend.

Should your injury or illness linger or become worse after you return home, Norton Healthcare offers 13 convenient immediate care centers to serve you. Most are open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

If you’re not sure whether you need immediate care or emergency care, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

*When to visit a Norton Immediate Care Center: Allergies, cold, dizziness, fever, flu, insect bites, nausea, minor burns or cuts, rash, sore throat, sprains, urinary tract infection

*When to visit an emergency department: Animal bites, chest pain, fracture, high fever, major head injury, seizure, severe abdominal pain, severe asthma attack, severe burn or cut, severe pain, shock, unconsciousness or unresponsiveness, uncontrollable bleeding