While summer is an activity-filled season for children and young adults, the heat does not eliminate the fact that they can still get sickness that will require medicine for cough & cold. If you look back at your summer, you’d definitely want it to be filled with happy memories with friends and family, not those of you stuck at home nursing a malaise. Today, we’ll look at 5 ways you can up your protection against getting sick this summer.
1. Water, water, water
Drink it, that’s what we mean. The intense heat of the summer sun can cause a lot of unwelcome sickness such as heat stroke, sunburn, and heat exhaustion. Drink 8-12 glasses worth of water or more during the summer months per day, instead of the regular 8 glasses a day so you’re hydrated. Also, if you’re thirsty, don’t go for that cold glass of soft drinks. Opt for water. Don’t even think about drinking alcoholic beverages, even when chilled. They cause you to dehydrate even more.
2. Stay out of the sun
The peak hours when the sun is up during the day are from 10 am to 4 pm. These are the hours when the UV rays of the sun are at its strongest and most harmful to your skin. Schedule morning activities up until 9 am and afternoon ones from 5 pm onwards. If you do have to be out during the hottest hours of the day, wear sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher 20-30 minutes before you go outside of the house. Also, wear sunglasses and a hat.
If you really don’t need to go out, stay indoors as much as you can. You know what they say, “Prevention is better than cure.”
3. Be with a buddy
If you really, really need to be outdoors, then do so with a friend or two. Being with companions gives you security and assistance in case that something does happen, like fainting from heat exhaustion or if you suddenly run out of water. A buddy of yours can generously share his/her refreshing drink to keep you hydrated. Inversely, you could do the same for your friends who tagged along.
4. Be mindful of the clothes you wear
Wearing the right kind of clothes during the hottest time of the year will keep your body in optimal shape. That means tight fitting pieces like skinny jeans, muscle shirts, or any shirt or bottoms colored black are a no. Black, if you must know, attracts heat much quicker than any color. So unless you want to be sweating buckets, don’t wear black during summer.
Instead, go for clothes that are light-colored, lightweight, and loose clothes that make you feel comfortable despite the heat.
5. Wipe your sweat immediately
The added humidity summer brings limits your body sweat from immediately evaporating. This isn’t good because a humid body temperature and environment attracts pests like mosquitoes, leading to an even deadlier slew of sicknesses such as yellow and dengue fever.
Do you know how else to boost your protection against sicknesses this summer? Share them in the comments section below.