When summer arrives, we plan our holidays and look for fun things to do outside, whatever we are planning check out this holiday survival guide prior to travelling to help you get the most fun and avoid the pitfalls of accidents!
Our hope is that these tips will ensure you arrive home safe and sound and not in A&E (Especially not abroad)
Medications
- Make sure you do not leave any medications in a hot car, as many medications have temperature limits. If going on a long trip in hot weather, store them away in Ziploc bags and perhaps add some ice cubes.
- Always keep on schedule with your medications.
- Do not mix medication with alcohol depending upon the prescription advice.
- If going abroad, check what immunizations are required and always make sure you have medical travel insurance.
Alcohol
- Never drink and drive, instead use taxi services, or have a designated driver. You could even stay the night where possible.
- Do your best not to drink excessively, better to be a good example to your children, as they will copy your actions later in life.
- Be realistic about how much alcohol you can handle; The National Institutes of Health recommends that men limit alcohol to two drinks per day and women limit alcohol to one drink per day.
- Sometimes medications can have serious side effects when consumed with alcohol; Check with your GP before your trip and note that pregnant women should never drink alcohol.
People often put weight on during their holiday, but no need to let excessive alcohol contribute to that.
Hydration
- To stay hydrated why not drink water instead of coffee, tea or alcohol.
- Fruit juices and eating plenty of vegetables will help as they have high water content.
- If you exercise on holiday or if it is very hot, why not get some sport drinks that can help replace lost nutrients.
- Don’t wait until you are thirsty, drink more frequently.
Avoiding a heat-related illness
- When the sun is at it’s hottest it is essential to seek some shade, if it is not available try to make sure you are only exposed for up to 20 minutes at a time. This is crucial if you are doing activities or sports to avoid heat exhaustion.
- It is wise to wear light weight clothing as well as choosing light coloured garments. If you have perspired excessively, best replace your clothing.
- Stay hydrated as mentioned earlier, make sure you drink something every 20 minutes.
- Don’t forget children are more vulnerable than adults to heat exhaustion. Never leave them in cars for any length of time when you are not there.
Sun protection
- Babies under the age of 6 months should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
- It is wise to limit sun exposure for anyone else to outside of the hours between 10am and 4pm.
- When you do go outside during those hours, wearing a hat with UVA protection can help reduce sunburn.
- Having a sunscreen with a minimum protection values of SPF20 that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Do not forget that you need to reapply sun protection every 2 hours or so.