By the time you read this, we will have passed the summer solstice and the nights will slowly be starting to draw in! but, for many, exams have finished, the school term has ended, and the summer holidays are getting into full swing, hopefully with weather commensurate to the occasion. As I write this, it is most definitely cocktail weather, but I am always minded of the other side of the long hot summers and the importance of managing our health with just a little bit of caution and preparation.
If you are travelling overseas, hopefully by now, any travel vaccinations that are required have been administer however, if not, it is not necessarily too late. Requirements depend on where you are travelling and are mainly for areas such as Central and South America, parts of Africa, Asian Sub-Continent, and Southeast Asia. Check with your GP surgery, local travel Clinic or look up your destination on NaTHNaC for guidance on what may be required. Don’t forget to also look at any requirements for anti-malarial medication.
Sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer (melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK) and is not just confined to happening whilst on holiday. You can burn in the UK even when it is cloudy. Try protecting the skin with a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses. Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, use a high protection sunscreen.
Sunscreen is designed to reduce the intensity of the suns ultraviolet rays entering the skin and damaging vulnerable skin cells. The British Association of Dermatologists recommend a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above along with a star rating of 4 or 5. Sunscreen should be applied liberally 15 – 30 minutes before going out into the sun and re-applied after swimming, towelling, sweating and rubbing. As a guide, approximately 1 tablespoon per limb is the recommended amount of sunscreen to be applied and spread rather than rub the sunscreen in to your skin as uniformly as possible over the surface of the skin and allow to dry.
The same UV rays may be a factor in several eye diseases including cataracts. Sunglasses are an excellent way of protecting the eyes (including babies and children) – look for sunglasses with a CE mark and the British Standard BS EN ISO 12312-1.
To help prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke, drink plenty of cold drinks, avoid excessive alcohol, take cool baths, wear light coloured, loose clothing, avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm and avoid extreme exercise.
Heat exhaustion is not usually serious if you can cool down and start to feel better within 30 minutes. If it turns in to heatstroke – symptoms include feeling unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place and drinking plenty of water, no sweating even though too hot, fast breathing or shortness of breath, confused, loss of consciousness, a fit (seizure) or not responsive then call 999 and put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness.
Happy holidays everyone – toes in the sand and a cocktail in the hand!
Health
How to not fizzle when the summer starts to sizzle
