Stay Healthy in the Sun
Enjoy the beautiful, sunny and warm days of summer. But be sun-smart, since excess sun exposure can lead to heat-related illness, sunburn, and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Heat-related illness is when your body gains heat faster than it can cool off. When the weather forecast calls for extreme heat, your body may not adjust well to the high temperature or humidity changes. This can be worse if you are in the sun or if there is little wind. Infants and young children, seniors, and people working or doing strenuous activities outdoors are particularly at risk of heat-related illness.
To reduce the risk, here are a few sun safety tips you can follow:
- Drink lots of water, even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can dehydrate the body.
- Avoid strenuous work in the heat and stay indoors whenever possible (if indoor temperatures are cooler than outside).
- Keep your house cool by closing curtains and blinds and opening second-storey windows slightly to allow excess heat to leave the house.
- Never leave infants and children or pets alone in a parked car.
- When the weather is hot, be sure to check regularly on family members, friends or neighbours who may be at risk of heat-related illness.
For more information on heat-related illness and symptoms, please see HealthLink BC File #35 on Heat-related Illness
Sunburn occurs when your skin is overexposed to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, a sunlamp or a tanning bed. A first-degree burn occurs when the damaged skin turns red, gets hot, and is painful to the touch. This is not usually noticeable for 2 to 4 hours after exposure. Second-degree burns are more severe sunburns. They can cause swelling and blisters that are more painful. Repeated sunburns may lead to skin cancer.
You can stay safe in the sun and reduce your risk of sunburn and skin cancer by following these tips:
- Cover up with clothing whenever possible. If you are going to be in the heat, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
- Accessorize by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, using an umbrella for shade, and wearing sunglasses that provide 100% protection against ultraviolet A and B (UVA and UVB) rays.
- Wear sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Choose one that protects against UVA and UVB by looking for the term “broad-spectrum” on the label. Apply the sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply it every 2 to 3 hours, especially after swimming or excessive sweating.
- Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days, since the sun’s rays can still penetrate the clouds.
- Stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.
To learn more about sun protection and staying healthy in the sun, see:
Get Active
What better time to get active than the summer?
Here are some favourite activities for the summer:
- Go to the beach. There are many activities you can do at the beach, including walking, swimming, playing Frisbee, and running around with the kids.
- Cycle or rollerblade. Try a different bike path or park every week for variety.
- Participate in summer sports. This season is ideal for baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, swimming, running, beach volleyball and street hockey.
- Go camping. Connect with nature and the great outdoors by camping, hiking, and doing related activities.
- Walk to your destination. In the summer and warmer weather, you can walk for leisure or even do errands in your area.
Here are some safety tips you should consider before starting summer activities:
- If you have a medical condition or if it has been a long time since you have been active, consult your doctor or health care provider before starting any exercise.
- Take the time to learn new activities. New skills require practice and patience. Learning the skills will also ensure you stay safe and reduce the risk of a sports injury.
- Know your equipment. Learn what protective equipment you need to wear and how to properly use equipment. Make sure you wear equipment certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
- Prepare for activity by warming up with light movements to help increase your heart rate and get blood flowing to your muscles. Cooling down after physical activity can prevent injury and dizziness.
- Practice sun safety by wearing sunscreen with minimum SPF 30, wearing sunglasses, and trying to stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (see below for more helpful links to sun safety).
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is also important if you are going to be active. Prevent dehydration by drinking lots of water before, during, and after activity. Sports drinks are also an option, but choose ones with less sugar. Use a refillable bottle to save on the amount of plastic you consume. If you are concerned about chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in some plastic water bottles, use a glass or BPA-free bottle to refill your water (bottles with BPA are usually marked under the bottle with the number “7” or “PC” (polycarbonate) near the recycling symbol).
To help you stay hydrated, you can use a refillable bottle. If you are concerned about chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in some plastic water bottles, use a glass or BPA-free bottle to refill your water (bottles with BPA are usually marked under the bottle with the number “7” or “PC” for polycarbonate near the recycling symbol).
If you must use bottled water, keep in mind that single-use plastic water bottles should not be refilled and used again because this can increase the risk of bacterial infection. Most plastic water bottles for one-time use sold in Canada are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) or polyethylene (PE); these are marked under the bottle with the number “1” and do not contain BPA. However, some large jugs of water and some sports bottles are made of PC, which may contain small amounts of BPA.
To learn more about staying active and summer activities, see:
Food Safety
Barbecues, picnics and family get-togethers can provide us with some great summer memories. But summer heat can be harmful to some of our food – a burger or even a cool salad can be a breeding ground for bacteria. It is important to take some simple precautions to avoid getting sick from bacteria that can spoil our food.
The most basic rule of food safety is simple: hot food should be hot, and cold food should be cold. If you are transporting hot food to another location, the safest way is cool the food down completely (in the fridge) and warm it up at your destination. Cold food should be kept in coolers, out of the sun, or inside the car with the passengers rather than in a hot trunk. Cold food needs to be kept below 4°C (40°F). Raw foods should be kept at the bottom of the cooler to prevent the juices from dripping onto cooked food. An even better way to prevent cross contamination is to pack raw foods in a separate cooler.
Hygiene is also important – remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling any raw food. You can also wash all utensils to prevent cross-contamination.
When barbecuing, be sure that all meat is thoroughly cooked. The best way to check if meat is cooked enough is with a digital food thermometer – do not go by how the food looks. The meat can look “done” before all the bacteria are killed. Use one set of utensils to put the uncooked meat on the barbecue and a clean set to remove the cooked meat. Using separate utensils prevents transferring bacteria from the raw meat onto the cooked food. If you want to use leftover marinade as a sauce, boil it first to kill bacteria. For more information, see HealthLink BC File #59a Food Safety: Ten Easy Steps to Make Food Safe.
To help prevent foodborne illness, such as salmonella or hamburger disease (food poisoning caused by E. coli bacteria that can occur when eating undercooked ground beef), make sure you follow food safety tips.
For more information on food safety, see:
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