Summer is often associated with health and wellbeing.
Nice, sunny days can go a long way in bolstering our moods - especially after a long winter cooped up indoors.
Yet, summer can come with some detrimental downsides when it comes to our physical health. From safe sun exposure to hydration, here are our tips for staying healthy in summer.
Hydrate
Do you drink enough water per day? The recommended amount is two litres per day, and more if it’s hot or if you’ve been exerting yourself.
Many people find two litres unobtainable, and as a result, don’t even try. But, you’d be surprised how easily you can work hitting your water goals into your daily routine.
And once you’re used to drinking the optimal levels of water per day, you may find that you actually want to drink more water.
A sign of dehydration is dark coloured urine. Urine should be pale like the colour of straw.
Other signs of dehydration are:
Thirst
Headaches
Dizziness
Feeling faint
Lack of energy
and more.
Health tip: If you realise you’re dehydrated, think twice before reaching for sports drinks. Sports drinks are laden with high levels of sugar. Instead, opt for coconut water or keep a tube of Hydralyte handy.
Eat well
On excessively hot days, many of us experience suppressed appetites. It’s always essential to ensure that you’re eating enough every day.
If you find that you don’t like eating on hot days, then eat cold foods such as sandwiches, salads and boiled eggs that have cooled safely.
Stay cool
Try to avoid overheating as best you can. If it’s a hot day and you don’t have aircon, consider going somewhere that does, like a shopping centre, a friend’s place, or even the local indoor pool.
A tan from the sun isn’t healthy
Tanning is in no way healthy. Yes, we need sun exposure to receive optimal levels of Vitamin D, but you can generally achieve this through five to twenty-five minutes of sun exposure, not hours of laying in the sun.
A tan from the sun signals skin damage, and skin damage in time can lead to skin cancer. So, it’s best to cover up while in the sun and to try to stay out of the sunlight during hours of peak sunlight.
Get used to wearing sunscreen
Yes, sunscreen can be uncomfortable and sticky at times, but it’s essential in protecting us from sun damage and skin cancer. So, we recommend using it daily. Remember to reapply multiple times per day as one application won’t last for more than an average of four hours.
Cover up!
Protect your skin and eyes with protective clothing, hats and sunglasses. All this goes a long way in preventing skin cancer.
Get your skin checked by a health professional
Even if you haven’t experience sunburn this summer, it’s still recommended to get your skin checked yearly for skin cancer.
The early diagnosis of skin cancer is essential for the success rate of treatment - the earlier its detected, the easier it’s treated.
We have a Skin Cancer Clinic, that as it’s title suggests, is dedicated to the screening of skin cancer. Our doctors and trained in skin cancer screening and operation of The FotoFinder - a piece of medical machinery that scans the entirety of your skin’s surface for any sign of skin cancer, otherwise known as Total body Mole Mapping.
If you’d like to know more about Total Body Mole Mapping, then please see our other article What is full body mole mapping?
Or call us for more information - 9741 1200.
We are located in Werribee and are open for extended hours, so we often see patients from all over Melbourne and Geelong. We always welcome new patients. If you’d like to book an appointment with one of our doctors, then please call us on 9741 1200 or visit our website.
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