This summer has been the worst in living memory for bad weather - but it doesn't seem to have kept people indoors. We are seeing as many accidents and emergencies as in any other summer, most of them related to outside activities that we wouldn't consider at any other time of year.

For example, bicycle accidents. Families out together for a cycle can invite disaster. The kids are all given helmets to wear - but many adults don't think they need them. Yet they are far less steady than most children on a bike, and when they fall off, their heads are just as vulnerable to serious injury. That's especially true on holiday hire bikes: if you are thinking of hiring a bike, don't save money by doing without a crash helmet.

Keep in mind that most bicycle accidents on the public roads are not the fault of the cyclist, but of the car or lorry drivers that hit them. They just don't see the cyclists or motor cyclists in their rear view mirrors, and swerve outwards or turn left right into their paths. So if you are cycling this summer, try to plan your route on dedicated cycle paths. And if you drive another vehicle, please try to remember the poor cyclist.

Walking through the countryside is great, but take sensible precautions. You must have the right footwear - comfortable socks and properly designed boots or shoes with strong soles and ankle support, preferably waterproof. So far this holiday season I've seen about half a dozen "turned" ankles and one broken one. None would have happened if the walkers had been better kitted out.

Then there are insect bites - midges and mosquitoes can ruin a holiday here and abroad. Don't forget the insect repellent sprays and creams before going out. And use them on every exposed surface, including the ears, backs of the hands and neck. I'm all for the anti-midge net they sell in the Highlands, although it's not exactly made for making friends. But there is one creature that few people know about, and we should take extra precautions against it.

It's the tick. It hangs on to bracken or grass stalks, and when you brush against them it transfers to you. You don't feel it, but you eventually see it as a small blister on the skin that can't be brushed away. The "blister" is in fact the creature's abdomen, full of your blood.

Don't try to burn it off with a match or cigarette, because that can leave the animal's head under your skin. A small drop of alcohol will help, along with a pair of tweezers, which firmly applied to its head will lift it out.

Ticks are much more than a nuisance. They carry Lyme disease, which leads to arthritis and eye disease.

Once recognised it is cured by antibiotics, but it can be very painful and distressing. So don't walk through meadows and farmland, especially where there are or have been deer or sheep, in bare legs. Protect your skin with strong trousers or thick stockings.

We used to think Lyme disease was rare, but we are finding that more and more people have it - and it has been reported all over Britain.

One curious case was a man who had spent two weeks sitting quietly on a North African beach. He had taken all the usual precautions about the sun and food, but he still arrived home with an extremely itchy, red and swollen behind.

It turned out that he had a case of "larva migrans", an infection with a worm that normally infects dogs. Happily our local dermatologist recognised the problem and cured it with a special cream. But it was a warning to make sure that your local beach is free of animals before you lie (or sit) on it.

Finally remember that some drugs can make you very sensitive to the sun. A 20-year old woman taking an antibiotic, minocycline, for her acne, came back from her Mediterranean holiday with very sore fingernails, that looked as if they were separating away from their beds.

This condition, called onycholysis, is a complication of the combination of this type of antibiotic and hot sunshine.

If you are having to take antibiotics during your holiday, ask your doctor beforehand if the sun might cause complications. For example, nalidixic acid, sometimes used for urinary infections, can bring sun lovers out in blisters. Sometimes it's safer to stay at home!

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.