Stay Healthy this Summer with Dr Jo Longstaffe
By Effective Communication
Summer Health
Summer time – you can’t help but associate it with thoughts of relaxing outside in the sunshine (despite the weather we actually often encounter here in the Wales!).
All round, summer has a positive impact on our health in many ways but without wishing to put a dampener on things, there are issues to be aware of that could cause danger.
Such hazards include heat-related illness, sun-burn, food poisoning and accidents – all of which apply both at home and abroad.
Here, Dr Joanna Longstaffe, clinical director of the Independent General Practice, talks us through her key summer health dos and don’ts.
The obvious tale of caution of course is to avoid too much exposure to the sun itself.
Being outside and undertaking more activity is great – but always while protected by a high factor sunscreen, preferably wearing a hat and ideally, covering up / shading yourself during the hottest part of the day.
A lot of people don’t realise that sunscreen actually takes around 30 minutes to start protecting the skin so apply in plenty of time. If you’re going to the beach or pool, cover up with a T-Shirt for parts of the day and reapply sunscreen every time you get out of the water.
Children should have sunscreen applied every morning during the summer – whether going to school or on holidays.
It is safe to use sunscreen on babies under 6 months but I’d personally advise keeping them out of direct sunlight as much as possible – even with protection.
Sunburn can not only make you feel (and look!) terrible but it also has so many implications for your future health – the most obvious being increased risk of skin cancer. It’s simply not a risk worth taking when there are ways to achieve a healthy glow safely.
Dehydration – particularly when it’s hot and you’re losing more fluids – can cause its own problems and drinking plenty of water through the day is even more important during the summer months. Water is best but juice, milk and soft drinks are fine – do try to avoid too much tea and coffee as they make the body lose water.
There’s not much better than a drink in a sunny beer garden on a summer’s afternoon but aside from its other negative health impacts, alcohol also serves to dehydrate the body so sip in moderation and mix plenty of ‘water with the wine’. If it helps, just think of all those wasted calories that are blotting your attempts to get the perfect beach body!
If your body is dehydrated you’re more likely to suffer from heat-related illnesses so keep your fluid levels topped up and enjoy some time in the shade.
All this applies to youngsters as well – more so even due to the amount they run around – so make sure that wherever they are, they have a bottle of water to hand.
As well as monitoring what you’re drinking, on the food side, you need to be especially aware of food safety in the summer. It’s a great time for al fresco dining but as amateur chefs across the country dig out the barbecues and try their hand, there’s a high chance nasty stomach bugs could follow if things aren’t prepared and cooked properly so handle food sensibly and follow some basic tips – such as always covering any food left outside for a length of time and not defrosting things at room temperature if it’s too hot.
When you’re abroad, stomach upsets and diarrhoea – commonly known as Delhi belly – are very common and affect between 30-50% of travellers. Contaminated food and water is a major cause of illness and care is especially important while eating out and in countries where local hygiene is poor. More spices or oil in food can also lead to stomach upsets so bear in mind when ordering and avoid local water, raw foods (eg salads) or reheated foods.
Most cases of Delhi belly are short lived and require no treatment but if any blood is noticed you must seek medical attention wherever you are. Fluid replacement is vital so take in plenty of bottled water and stick to plain food such as rice and bread for a few days afterwards.
If you’re prone to diarrhoea, it may be an idea to consider taking antibiotics before you go away to protect against an attack – but this is only advisable for short trips to high risk areas.
And if you are travelling to areas that you suspect will require any sort of vaccinations, always seek the relevant advice and get any jabs arranged in plenty of time to travel. Not being fully prepared is just a needless risk to take when protection is available.
Something not so easy to protect against and far more common during the summer months are insect stings – your average everyday bee and wasp stings for example.
These will rarely cause more than an annoyance or a minor allergic reaction but some people do suffer extreme reactions that can prove life-threatening so it’s always good to be prepared.
For bee / wasp stings, remove the sting immediately by scraping it away – don’t pull it as the sting is barbed. You should then apply a cool pack – with antihistamine tablets or cream if you have them. Paracetamol will soothe any discomfort.
Alternative remedies can include applying vinegar, onion (for wasps or hornets) and even the inside of a banana peel.
If you’re stung in the mouth, eye or throat, or in any doubt about the sting’s severity, I’d suggest seeking urgent medical advice.
In terms of general summer safety, much of it is common sense – be extra vigilant of children on the beach and never leave them unattended near the pool for example. It’s surprising though how a relaxed holiday atmosphere can lead perfectly sensible adults to take their eye off the ball.
Not so obvious this but from a health perspective, if you’ve got a paddling pool, make sure it’s emptied every night – stagnant water can lead to urinary tract infections or infected cuts and grazes.
I wouldn’t like to think that any of this has cast a cloud over summer – it’s such a lovely time of year and has many positive effects on our health. Certain medical conditions are known to markedly improve during the warmth of summer for example. These are cautionary tales and hopefully, by following some of the advice, you’ll avoid any of the season’s hidden hazards!
Tags: independent general practice, jo longstaffe, summer health tips
