Health: Holiday Fun Can Come at a Price

SUNBURN

After all those months of pasty skin, who wouldn’t be in a hurry to get a five-minute tan? But sitting out in the sun for hours at a time not only increases your risk of melanoma, it can also cause skin blisters, severe burns, and that very unenviable look of a bright red Brit on holiday.

According to CancerHelp UK, 7000 people a year contract a potentially deadly malignant melanoma – which results in 1600 deaths every year. Every year in Lothian, about 300 people are diagnosed with this type of skin cancer and incidences of melanoma are expected to rise by 75 per cent in Scotland within the next 15 years.

As Sheena Dryden, clinical nurse specialist for skin cancers with NHS Lothian, points out, it is important to understand the dangers of the sun – and not just when on holiday in a sunny climate. “Even in Scotland, people are at risk of sun damage. The risky months are April to October. Whether the sun is out, or if it is breezy and overcast, the rays can penetrate the clouds.”

Either at home or abroad, the best form of defence for your skin she says, is wearing tightly woven garments, a broadbrimmed hat and sunglasses and to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when it is at its strongest. The worst thing you can do to your skin is to let it burn.

If you want to sunbathe, the next line of defence should be sun cream. “Although most literature recommends a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 and above, many people rub the cream in too much, halving its effectiveness against UVA,” Sheena says.

“I would recommend suncream with an SPF of 30, and a UVA protection identified with four symbols or above. This should be applied liberally and regularly.”

Some doctors also recommend getting your body prepared in advance by taking some vitamin E, selenium and betacarotene supplements in advance, as they have got natural sunscreens in them.

HEAT RASH

So you’re protected from the sun and are outdoors … but now your skin has broken into a prickly and itchy red rash (this is why heat rash is also known as ‘prickly heat’). If you’re in a hot or humid climate, this is probably due to the fact that you’re sweating more than usual: the sweat is actually blocked underneath the skin, which causes the rash.

But, says Dr Wendy Denning, who runs www.thehealthdoctors.co.uk, heat rash can also occur after applying certain kinds of sunscreen. “There’s one particular ingredient, avobenzone, that seems to cause this kind of reaction in people,” she explains.

“If you’re prone to allergies, you can go to www.allergymatters.com, which will tell you which sunscreens to use and which to avoid. If you do develop a heat rash, avoid the sun, avoid sunscreen, eat lots of fruit and vegetables for the antioxidants in them, drink lots of water and cut out strawberries, nuts, alcohol, coffee, and red meat as they could all make it worse.

“Take a cool shower – a hot one will just make it worse – and get some low-grade hydrocortisone cream from your local pharmacy.”

HEATSTROKE

If you’ve been in the sun for a while lapping up the rays, watch out for heatstroke, which occurs when the temperature of the body rises sharply – either due to high temperatures or severe sunburn.

Heatstroke is associated with severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations and potential fainting and collapsing – stemming from being overheated and over-dehydrated.

Drinking loads of water, staying cool, and wrapping your body in cool sheets can all help.

HOLIDAY TUMMY

Spanish tummy can strike even if you’re thousands of miles away from Spain and around 15 per cent of package holidaymakers suffer some kind of illness during their break.

Tourists staying in all-inclusive resorts, where food and drink are provided, are twice as likely to become sick as those with room only or half-board.

According to NHS Scotland website “Fit for Travel”, the problem lies with organisms such as E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidia although diarrhoea can also result just from a change in diet including, for example, spicy or oily foods.

It recommends avoiding such problems by ensuring you only drink tap water when sure of its purity – so make sure you boil it first or use a reliable filter. This also applies to water used for making ice cubes and cleaning teeth.

Cheeses and ice-cream are often made from unpasteurised milk and when in doubt these should only be bought from larger well established companies when quality can usually be assured.

Meat should be thoroughly cooked and eaten hot whenever possible, and if in doubt about fish and shellfish just avoid them altogether. Green salads and unpeeled fruit are also a no-no.

And of course always wash hands thoroughly before eating or handling food, and after using the toilet.

INSECT BITES

Out comes the sun, and with it all the bugs too. Whether you’re walking on the beach, in the country or by the sea, it’s likely that you’ll be bitten by a sandfly, horsefly, or just a normal midge at some stage this summer.

For those susceptible to insect bites, taking B vitamins, like B- 12 or B-complex, can help prevent the pesky bugs from getting close to you – as do lavender and rosemary essential oils. Or you could just carry some insect repellent.

Abroad though, bites can carry some extra nasties. In fact at least 2000 Britons return from their travels with malaria. Yet many travellers still do not realise the importance of organising a supply of anti-malarial tablets before setting off. Others fail to complete the course which means the parasite that causes malaria can lie dormant in the liver and reappear later.

The only sure way to avoid malaria is not to get bitten by mosquitoes which carry the disease. That means using insect repellents, keeping arms and legs covered outdoors, sleeping in rooms with screens on windows and doors and a mosquito net, and spraying your quarters each night with a fly spray.

Mosquitoes can bite skin through skin-tight clothes so it’s always best to wear loose fitting garments.

Aerosol and pump-spray products are available which are suitable for treating clothing – if aerosols and pump sprays are used on skin it is best to spray liquid onto your hand and then rub onto exposed areas.

Liquid, creams, lotions and sticks are designed for skin application.

And if you react badly to any sort of bites, take some antihistamines before you go. Witch hazel gel can reduce the itch right away, and bathing in oatmeal also works well.

(c) 2008 Evening News; Edinburgh (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.