Summer is finally here, and as most of us know, the heat can be very unnerving, especially if you are on this side of the Sahara. Also, most of us tend to travel extensively to different parts of the world. And while you’re busy enjoying a good ol’ time wherever you’ll be, it is important to remember that the heat comes with its own unique health challenges. This means you have to keep a close eye on your wellbeing. To make you come out of it in one piece, I had a one-on-one chat with Dr. Ali Razzak – Family Medicine Consultant and Cosmetic Injectables Expert at Aesthetics by King’s College Hospital Dubai, on how to stay healthy in summer and beyond.
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How to Stay Healthy in Summer
Avoid over-exposure to the sun
If you’re traveling anywhere in the summer (unless you’ll be going to destinations that lie far south of the equator) chances are you’ll be exposed to a lot of sun, which can be quite harmful to your skin, particularly those of you who have a slightly fairer complexion. So, it’s very important that you ensure that you cover up accordingly and that you apply a suitable skin factor protection for strong sunlight.
If you have fairer skin, and you want to stay healthy in summer, you will need a Sun Protection Factor 50. This is because you really have to avoid any burning of the skin because repeated burning episodes can put you in an increased risk of developing skin cancer. If you’re concerned that you’ve developed some severe burns, or you’ve noticed some new moles forming, see a specialist who can have a good look at the skin freckles or spots that you’re concerned about, and then take the appropriate action from there.
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Don’t forget your vaccinations if you’re traveling
If you’re traveling somewhere exotic that may require travel vaccinations, make an appointment with your doctor in good time prior to traveling; which should be at least 6 weeks before your date of departure. During your appointment, your doctor will ascertain the type of vaccines you need for the countries you’re traveling to. Some of the common vaccinations include Hepatitis B, cholera, typhoid, diphtheria and malaria among others, as well as tablets that you may need while traveling.
Keep your allergies in check
Allergies do not flare up only in spring; they are also quite common in the summer months. Pollen allergies and dust allergies also become more apparent in the hot months. So, if you’re suffering from symptoms like itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing, don’t suffer in silence; go and see your doctor to talk about your symptoms if you plan to stay healthy in summer. While here you can be prescribed medications that help prevent or limit some of these symptoms as much as possible. For instance, antihistamines can be prescribed quite safely.
Some people who have conditions such as asthma can find that their breathing gets a little bit worse in the summer and winter months, but particularly in the summer due to the dry weather and other allergy-causing environmental factors which may lead to difficulty in breathing.
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Hydration is key
One of the other major factors causing us to get unwell during the summer months is that we tend to forget to drink up enough water. Water is a vital part of all metabolical processes in our bodies and helps to keep it well-hydrated and to maintain our blood pressure so that we can function effectively throughout the day. If you’re spending any considerable amount of time outside where it’s quite hot and humid, you can get dehydrated quite quickly particularly more so for younger people.
So, if you hope to stay healthy in summer as an adult you should be drinking at least 2 – 3 liters of water per day. This might sound like a lot but if you drink consistently throughout the day with regular small mouthfuls or cupfuls of water this might be enough to maintain your adequate hydration levels throughout the day. Some of the symptoms of hydration you might feel include dryness of the mouth, feeling dizzy, getting a headache, or generally feeling quite faint. If you worry that you’re suffering from dehydration, please do consider seeing your Family Medicine Doctor.
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Finally…
In summer, for anyone with any chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and other conditions that affect you, they can become more severe when you’re a bit dehydrated. Because of this, it is important that if you do suffer from any of these chronic conditions, you should make an appointment with your doctor.
That said, how do you stay healthy in summer? Share your views in the comments.
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2 Comments
Great tips! The vaccinations are key, especially if you are going to Africa, or India. xx
Thanks! Vaccinations are quite important. Thanks for stopping by 😉