Staying Safe in the Sun by Joe Cline

While it is great to be able to take a walk in the sun, without the proper precautions you may end up with a headache, feeling dizzy, even nauseas. If this happens, you will need to stop for some rest and some water to drink. You may even need to take a trip to the hospital. However, all of this can actually be avoided quite easily.

Go Out Early

Whenever it is hot outside, you should try to do all of your outdoor activities in the morning when it is much more pleasant outside. This may put a limit on the amount of time that you can spend outside but as the old saying goes, “better safe than sorry.”

Dress Properly

It is important that you dress properly for the hot weather. This includes:

· Tops that are made from breathable fabric and designed to wick sweat away from your body. This is better than cotton and you can purchase them in most stores now.

· Shorts Vs. Pants: While shorts are fine to wear in the summer, trousers are better if you plan to walk through any bushes or tall grass. Regardless of which you choose to wear, make sure that it is both light and breathable.

· Hats should always be worn. They too should be made from breathable cloth with vents to allow your head to be able to breathe. It is also a good idea to protect the back of your neck as much as possible.

Stay Well Hydrated

You need to stay really well hydrated. If you are going to be walking, make sure that you get plenty of water to drink. Sports drinks are also great since they contain salt, which will help to keep you from becoming dehydrated.

Wear Sunscreen

In the summertime you will want to make sure that you are wearing plenty of sunscreen. This should be waterproof since you will more than likely be sweating. It should also be a broadband spectrum sunscreen that covers all of the different types of ultra violet radiation, including UVA. Make sure that you put it on 30 minutes before you go into the sun and then reapply it every two hours. Even so, you should know that you can’t rely entirely upon sunscreen, especially if you have fair skin. Instead, make sure to cover up after an hour or so in the sun.

Wear Sunglasses

While most people wear sunglasses simply to cut down on the sun’s glare, it is important to understand that UV light can cause damage to your retinas, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun. Fortunately, most sunglasses do a good job of resisting UVB. However, they don’t always do so well in regards to the other types of UV light. Therefore, you should make sure that they also control UVA light.

Conclusion

Make sure that you take the aforementioned precautions whenever you go out in the sun this summer. This will keep you from regretting your time outdoors.