HEALTH MATTERS

●● DR Paul Bowen, GP with McIlvride Medical Practice, Poynton, and GP chair of NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) MANY of us enjoyed last week’s hot weather and it looks like more is on its way this Bank Holiday weekend.

Sunlight converts Vitamin D from our diet into its active form, making many of us more active – and it’s a natural antidepressant.

However it also has its risks and – without wanting to be a killjoy – it seems timely to remind everyone about the risks of excessive sun exposure and heat.

Local A&E departments, along with GP surgeries, still see far too many patients with sunburn and heatstroke, which can sometimes be fatal.

I, like many GP colleagues locally, am amazed when I visit people in their homes on hot days and find them inside, dressed in layers of clothing with no windows open.

I’ve personally even turned off people’s gas fires during a heatwave in previous years.

So please take a few moments to read my top tips for keeping safe in the sun:

Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding excess alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks.

Apply sunscreen with a factor of at least 15.

Ensure that babies, children, older people or pets are not left alone in stationary cars.

Avoid sunbathing between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest.

Wear a hat and light, loose-fitting clothes, preferably cotton.

Use sunglasses that offer your eyes 100 UV protection.

Keep your environment cool by closing curtains and blinds during the day and turning off non-essential electrical equipment and lights, as they generate heat.

Call NHS 111 if you feel dizzy, weak, anxious or have intense thirst and headache, and move to a cool place as soon as possible and hydrate with fluids such as energy drinks.

Too much sun exposure can lead to skin cancer – the prevalence of which has more than doubled in Eastern Cheshire during the past five years.

Therefore, I’m urging readers to alter their sunbathing habits and cover up vulnerable skin in the midday sun so we can all enjoy the sun more safely.