Life is not possible without the sun, but it could also be our nemesis, if we are not wise and careful. Make the sun our friend.
Summer is a sun-filled and fun-filled time of the year, with friends and/or family. But behind the façade of the celebration starting from the summer solstice, lurks various health hazards everyone has to be aware of. Below, I have listed some common dangers to watch out for in order to enjoy your memorable vacation or staycation with friends and family. Around 65,000 Americans go to the emergency room annually for the treatment of heat stroke and other summer “injuries.”
Besides sun-related health hazards, the others are allergies, BBQ fire burns, insect bites, drowning, falls and fractures, firework injuries, food poisoning, car/bicycle accidents, and boating injuries, etc. Our column today will focus on sun-related health hazards.
Sun injuries
The sun and its ultraviolet (UV) radiation — rays that result in sunburn after prolonged exposure — is also harmful to our eyes. Excessive UV-A and UV-B radiation could cause photokeratitis (sun burn of the eyes), which is very painful and could lead to serious vision problems, like blurriness and cataract formation. Those whose lens were removed by cataract surgery are more vulnerable to retinal damage and even blindness when exposed to intense degree of UV radiations from the sun or from solarium, sun lamps, and sun beds in tanning salons or at home. Practically all skin cancers (99 percent of non-melanoma and 95 percent of melanomas) are caused by UV radiation from those same natural and man-made sources of UV radiation. It does not make sense to die in the pursuit of a good tan.
What is heat stroke?
Heat stroke is a preventable but potentially fatal medical emergency, a more severe form of heat exhaustion. It happens when the person is exposed for a prolonged period to high temperature (from the sun or other mechanical sources of high heat) and the body reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 C), unable to cool down. This is seen among athletes, avid sunbathers, and those doing exercises or physical activities under an intense hot sun. The body normally automatically adjusts to its normal temperature of 98.6 degrees F (37 C) but when one is dehydrated, or exhausted from previous activities or lack of sleep, or weak from an illness, exposure to the hot sun quickly leads to a heat stroke. The body is overwhelmed and unable to adapt. Children under 4 and seniors are also more prone to develop heat stroke. When it occurs, it is an extreme emergency that requires immediate medical professional care. If not treated right away (within 20 to 30 minutes), it could rapidly result in permanent damage and death.
How common is heat stroke?
Between 1979 and 2013, there were more than 9,000 documented heat stroke deaths, but many more are not reported as such. The number is increasing and majority of deaths are among seniors. The average rate of heat stroke death the past 3 decades is 1 per 2 million people in the U.S. alone. The rate goes up when severe heat waves and/or humidity come.
What are the symptoms?
The common symptoms, following exposure to heat, are any combination of these: feeling unwell, rapid breathing and fast heart rate, cold pale clammy skin or dry flushing skin, altered sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, changes in mood and behavior, confusion, unable to think clearly, feeling faint, and even passing out.
How to prevent summer hazards?
For heat stroke, prevention, as with any medical condition, is best. Be well-hydrated using water (not alcoholic or energy drinks or soft drinks, which are poison liquid candies, sugar bombs, that increase the risk for Metabolic Syndrome). Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day is healthy. Electrolyte drinks like Gatorade can help prevent electrolyte deficit also outdoors. Partially or fully freezing bottles of water or tea the night before will provide cool drinks outdoors. Remember, alcoholic drinks dehydrate the body. Drinking about 16 ounces (about a bottle or 500 ml) every hour is prudent.
Wear the proper gear for outdoor summer ventures: “ventilated” wide-brim hat, sunglasses (with UV protection, maybe polarized), sun-block lotion or spray, every 2 hours, well-vented light cotton clothing, and insect repellant, if needed.
If possible stay under a shade when heat is extreme, or go indoors every hour or two after sun exposure to cool down, sooner and more often for children and seniors.
Deaths among infants and children left in the car with all windows shut during summertime are all too common. Suffocation and heat stroke kill them. Parents could be prosecuted when they leave their infant or children unattended in a car, literally a heat box, a pressure cooker, and oven on wheels.
The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.. It is best to be outdoors outside of this time frame. It is also advisable to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, even up to SPF 80 for UVA and UVB protection all over the face, ears, and body and limbs even if the sun is not shining during the day.
Employ safe supervised (undistracted) swimming for children, even at home, to prevent accidents, which, according to CDC, is the leading cause of death among ages 1 to 4. There must be a designated watcher/life guard for kids, who should also wear life vest.
To prevent food poisoning, everyone must wash their hands thoroughly. Meats, vegetables, condiments (mayo, other dairies) must be refrigerated and when barbequing, be careful when lighting the grill to prevent burns. After cooking, the food must be covered to prevent flies from contaminating them. Meat, especially pork, must be cooked thoroughly to prevent trichinosis (parasitic worm). A lot of vegetables should be part of a cookout for their overall health benefits. Leftovers must be refrigerated. Cooking on a special burn-resistant grill liner is safer than directly on the grill to prevent meat oil from dripping to the charcoal, which will cause carcinogenic (cancer-causing) fumes to soar up to the meat. This, and the black-burnt part of the meats, are two of the probable causes of deadly pancreatic/colon cancers.
Life is short. Enjoy all the seasons of the year to the maximum possible. In summer, stay cool as you enjoy nature and the wonderful sun.
***
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
