Summer is the most anticipated season in every year. Everything about it radiates fun! Summer is good news for those who want skin tans, fun lovers, and children. There’s no rain and a lot of sun!
But isn’t it ironic that summer’s greatest advantage over other seasons — sunshine — doubles as its undoing?
Sunshine is great and beautiful until the moment it becomes too much. What are the adverse effects of too much sunshine? What can you do to stay cool? Read on!
Conditions Associated With Summer
There are some conditions that come with the summer season. Most of them might stay on after the season is over. While some of these illnesses can stem from secondary causes (viruses), others come from a primary cause: excessive heat.
1. Heat Stroke/Hyperthermia
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures or excessive heat can cause heat stroke or hyperthermia. The condition supplies the body with excessive heat from the sun and is possibly the most common of all summer-related conditions. It’s usually signaled by headaches, dizziness, and weakness.
2. Dehydration
Dehydration is the loss of water by the body in form of sweat. It is usually caused by water intake not compensating for water loss in the body. During summer, more water is lost through sweat, so dehydration is a big issue.
3. Heat rashes
Heat rashes are reddish-pink rashes found on parts of the body. It happens when sweat ducts are blocked and then swell up to become dots, causing severe itching, irritation, and discomfort.
4. Asthma
Although asthma is a respiratory illness, it can be triggered by extreme heat. High temperature can cause dryness which in turn can translate to coughing and shortness of breath — the symptoms of a possible asthma attack.
5. Sunburns
Sunburns come from prolonged exposure to heat. However, unlike hyperthermia, this heat might have more ultraviolet radiation than normal. This excessive radiation can cause skin burns and even severe blisters.
Ways to Stay Cool This Summer
One thing is common among the listed conditions above: heat. Summer is for fun and relaxing, and no one wants to spend the time being ill. In that case, what can you do to stay cool?
1. Drink lots of water
During summer, the body consumes more water than “usual,” so increase your water intake. Drinking a lot of water will help you stay hydrated and healthy.
2. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun
Summer is the best season for outdoor activities, but it’s necessary to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Too much exposure to the sun can cause sunburns or heat strokes. You can also use sunscreens to keep your body safe from the rays of the sun.
3. Dress lightly
During the summer, it’s highly recommended to wear light clothes. Wearing a lot of clothes attracts a lot of heat, especially when they’re black — black is an absorber of heat.
4. Limit your movements
While taking other steps to stay cool in the summer, reduce the amount of movement at joints, ankles, and elbows especially. In fact, every pressure point in the body must have some form of rest to reduce the amount of heat generated. Thus, if it’s not important, stay indoors.
5. Eat more vegetables
Most vegetables contain a lot of water in them and as such, are advised to be a part of every diet taken during the summer. Aside from its nutritional benefits, veggies help the body to stay hydrated. You might also want to make salads a regular meal addition.
6. Use ice cubes
Rubbing ice cubes on your body or licking them can help to cool your body. Ice cubes can effectively reduce the body’s temperature when applied externally, keeping away hyperthermia.
Plus, the feeling of an ice cube on the body is relaxing and calming. It can help your body return its temperature back to a regulated state, after prolonged periods of exposure to sunlight.
While summer is a wonderful time of the year, the excessive heat that accompanies it can sometimes be harmful to us. Thus, we need to stay cool and maintain our body temperature constantly. For more information, feel free to contact us and ask questions.
