If you are like me, my favorite free-time activity is to enjoy the great outdoors in summer. What beats spending hours underneath the warm sun swimming and enjoying time with family and friends? Practically living outside is what I look forward to the most, but summer also brings potential health and safety risks that you should not ignore.
Read ahead and learn important summer safety tips that will be sure to keep you and your family protected this summer season.
Why Should you Protect Yourself in Summer?
You can experience types of heat-related illnesses from exposure to intense heat, and the sun can have detrimental effects on your health from overexposure.
The ultraviolet (UV) radiation the sun emits is immensely harmful to us if we are not correctly protected. UV radiation can cause the skin to age prematurely, along with cataracts, wrinkles, and skin cancer.
Sunshine is not the only worry in summer, but another concern should be intense heat. Your body may experience a variety of different illnesses if you do not take proper precautions in the blazing heat.
Your Guide to Summer Safety: Sunscreen
As a kid, I never understood why my parents continuously nagged me to slop on the layers of sunscreen. It seemed to 7-year-old me, a rather trivial matter. Why would I be scared of a little sunburn? As many of us know, the dangers that sunburn poses are no laughing matter.
Over the years, sun damage can cause skin cancer along with permanent damage to your skin. Even if it is a cloudy summer day, apply sunscreen the same as you would if it was clear skies. Harmful UV rays are so powerful they can still penetrate through layers of clouds.
Using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 can block the harmful UV rays and aid you in avoiding sun exposure.
*Follow the directions on your sunscreen and make sure you apply it as necessary.*
Correctly Clothing Yourself
Your clothing’s purpose is not only to look and feel great, but it can also serve as a protective shield from the sun.
Wide-brimmed hats are more than accessories but can allow you to protect your face, scalp, and neck from UV rays. You most likely have a pair of sunglasses, but are they UV-absorbent? Like the rest of your body, your eyes need protection from radiation. Making sure your sunglasses are UV-absorbent will protect your eyes from damage.
Summer is undoubtedly hot, but covering up as much as possible could help limit exposure to the sun. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants will help you avoid the sun from piercing your skin.
Next time you pick an outfit, you should think of ways it can provide you with UV protection to help in your journey of staying safe against sun damage.
Heat-related Summer Illnesses
Do not take heat-related illnesses lightly, as you could experience life-threatening symptoms. Some heat-related illnesses include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, sunstroke, and heat cramps.
If your body is not regulating your core temperature and working to rid yourself of excess heat, you can experience heat stroke. Heat stroke can cause seizures and loss of consciousness. When you sweat, you lose water and can experience heat exhaustion. Heat rash is caused by inflamed sweat glands and can cause serious skin irritation.
To avoid heat-related illnesses, ensure you are drinking a sufficient amount of water while outside. Also, recognize how important it is you regularly take breaks from the heat to avoid overwhelming your body. Shade yourself frequently and monitor yourself for symptoms of potential heat-related illnesses.
*To see all the symptoms of heat-related illnesses, click here.*
Key Points
Limited exposure can protect you from heat-related illnesses and the sun. Short intervals of time spent outside can help you avoid overexposure to heat and UV rays. Clothing plays a part in defending against the sunshine. Sunscreen should be a regular part of your daily routine. Monitoring indicators of heat-related illness can help you avoid worsening symptoms and posing a threat to your health. All preventative measures are a great start to keeping yourself safe this summer. In the long run, your health will thank you for taking all the available precautions.
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