109 If you do one thing…
Don’t let the bugs bite
With demands for UK holidays skyrocketing, repellent is just as essential as UV protection this summer... It’s not just skin cancer you need to be aware of when things heat up. If you’re guilty of only using insect repellent when travelling abroad, you might be putting yourself at risk of Lyme disease. Commonly found in Scotland and Southern England, in particular in countryside areas, a bite from an infected tick can cause a whole host of nasty symptoms, which could ruin your holiday – and beyond. This includes chills, sweats, muscle aches and pains, and not forgetting a bullseye rash. If left untreated, this can even lead to long-term problems affecting your heart, joints and/or your neurological system.
YOUR NEW ESSENTIAL
With those summer evening strolls, dog walks and camping trips, we’re never far from ticks. About the size of a sesame seed, they feed from the blood of animals like humans, deer or rodents. Luckily, not all ticks are infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which can lead to Lyme disease, but prevention is always better than cure and what better way than with a 2-in-1 sun lotion?
CHECK YOUR LABELS
Whether you’re buying a sun lotion with repellent, or as a standalone product, make sure it has one of the following active ingredients:
✢ DEET – at least 20%-50% concentration.
✢ Icaradin – at least 20% concentration.
✢ Lemon Eucalyptus – at least 30% concentration and should be applied more frequently.
✢ IR3535
GET THE APPLICATION RIGHT
‘As with suncream, when applying insect repellent, take care to cover all the areas of exposed skin, including the face and neck, arms and legs,’ says Dr Deborah
Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy.
‘Each application of insect repellent should give several hours of protection. However, you will need to reapply it every few hours. It tends to be washed away when you sweat and, of course, if you swim.’
And remember, you can still get bitten, even if it’s raining outside – so apply whatever the weather.