As you gear up to enjoy the hotter temperatures, you may begin to spend more time outdoors. While summer is a time to relax, don’t forget to stick to the basics of summer safety.
Here are four tips to keep having summer fun.
Stay hydrated
As the weather heats up, so do you. To regulate your body temperature, you produce sweat, which depletes your internal water supply. To stay hydrated, always keep water on you when out in the heat.
The Mayo Clinic cautions that if you are not careful, dehydration and other side effects, such as heat stroke, could pose a dangerous situation while having fun in the sun.
Make sure to always have a water bottle on hand when carrying out summer activities.
Tick safety
As activities, such as hiking, trail running and camping pick up, you must be on the lookout for unfriendly critters, including ticks. Ticks are small arachnids that latch onto the skin and feed on blood. They have the potential to spread serious diseases and are typically found in wooded areas, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
To combat getting a tick, be mindful of the areas that could contain them and treat clothing with 0.5% permethrin to help ward off unwanted passengers. Use Environmental Protection Agency registered insect repellents for added protection.
Take a shower as soon as you get home from any outdoor activity and throw your clothing in the dryer on tumble dry high to kill any ticks that might have followed you home.
Sun protection
There are many methods to assist in defending your skin against sun damage.
Staying in the shade while wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher is one of the best methods of keeping yourself safe from sun damage. Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher should be applied at all times when out in the sun, regardless of if you are using other sun protection measures.
Sun safety also includes wearing clothing that is tightly woven, loose-fitting and absorbs the light. Sunglasses that are polarized will protect the eyes from cataracts.
For additional sun safety tips, check out this article.
Older adults
As you age, keeping safe in the heat becomes even more important since factors, such as decreased thirst, can put you more at risk for heat-related illnesses, according to this article from Care.com. .
It is important to note that as an older adult, you need to pay attention to what time of the day you are outside. According to the American Cancer Society, the hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are the hottest, so be mindful of your time outdoors.
An additional tip to keep in mind is to check prescription medication side effects to see if sun sensitivity is listed.
Check out additional summer tips for seniors in this article.
For more articles like this, visit Health and Wellness.
