The Retirement Newsletter: Summertime and the livin’ is easy (or is it?)
Issue Number: -32 — Ten things to be careful about this summer
Welcome
Welcome to issue -32, in which, after months of looking forward to the arrival of warm summer days, I become a bit of a “Debbie Downer” on summer by looking at ten things to be careful about in the hot summer months.
Ten things to be careful about during the summer
We must be more cautious with hot weather as we age, as heat and the sun can seriously impact our health.
If you have been following my “Travel — Nostalgia Corner” material, you will have noticed that it has all been cold weather so far. But in future posts, I will write about living, working and travelling in very hot countries. I have experienced extreme heat and know how easily it is to get caught out and suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and sunburn.
So, here are my top ten tips for coping with the heat of summer and staying healthy.
1. Hydration
This is number one. You have to keep the fluids going in and remain hydrated.
Signs of dehydration (taken from the NHS website) are:
feeling thirsty
dark yellow, strong-smelling urine
urinating less often than usual
feeling dizzy or lightheaded
feeling tired
a dry mouth, lips, and tongue
sunken eyes
I would add to the above list from the NHS Website that another sign is you suddenly stop sweating.
If you are feeling thirsty, it is too late. Drink some water now.
The two key early symptoms to look out for are dark yellow, strong-smelling urine and urinating less often than usual. Your urine should be a light yellow straw colour. If it is any darker than that, you should drink some water.
Top tip — Carry water with you at all times.
2. Sunlight
Limit your exposure to the sun, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
There are two reasons to do this; first, you will avoid getting sunburnt and second, in direct sunlight, you will get hotter quicker, which will cause you to sweat more and dehydrate.
Top tip — Seek shade or stay indoors during peak sun hours, typically between 10 am and 4 pm.
3. Clothing
Wear lightweight, light-coloured and loose-fitting clothing made from breathable fabrics. Such clothing helps to keep your body cool and allows for better air circulation.
Also, check that the clothing has a suitable Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating. Some clothing will not block sunlight, and you can still get sunburn.
Top tip — Avoid dark-coloured clothing as it will make you feel hot and show sweat.
4. Sunscreen
Protect yourself against sunburn.
UV rays can harm the skin, causing it to age prematurely, induce cancer, and burn. Apply sunblock with a high SPF before going outside and reapply it every few hours, especially if you're sweating or swimming.
Also, check that your sunblock is still in date. Nothing is worse than taking the time to apply sunblock, which is not working.
Remember, as they say in Australia and New Zealand, Slip, Slop, Slap:
Slip on a shirt
Slop on the sunblock
Slap on a hat
Top tip — Buy a sun umbrella. When I lived in SE Asia, I saw a lot of sun umbrellas in use. I thought it was odd and unnecessary until I bought one (see Laos — The death of my faithful travel umbrella for more about my sun umbrella). Wow! It helped keep me cool and prevented sunburn. If you buy a sun umbrella, make sure it has a high SPF rating.
5. Eye protection
Wear sunglasses with UV protection. The sunglasses will protect your eyes from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays. UV can lead to the formation of cataracts and also damage the retina.
Top tip — If you are a glasses wearer like me, look for “2 for the price of 1” deals at opticians and get the second “free” pair as prescription pair of sunglasses.
6. Outdoor activities
Avoid the hottest parts of the day if you have to go out. Get jobs like shopping done early morning before it gets too hot.
Top tip — Most supermarkets are air-conditioned, so if you need to go to the supermarket, plan your trip to take advantage of the air con, that is, go in the evening so you can cool down at the end of a hot day.
7. Weather forecast
Keep an eye on the weather and plan for the hot days. Don’t get caught out by sudden hot spells. This will help you plan things to avoid being out in hot weather.
Top tip — Plan ahead. Be prepared.
8. Keep your home cool — curtains, fans, and air conditioning
Keeping your home cool and from heating up is essential.
On hot days, keep curtains drawn and windows shut until the outside air temperature is less than the temperature inside your home.
Fans and air conditioning are a great way to keep cool but use them wisely.
Fans make you feel cool by speeding up evaporation from your skin, which speeds up dehydration (see number 1 above). If you use a fan, putting a bowl of iced water in front of it can often help with cooling. But remember, all fans are doing is pushing around hot air.
The best use of a fan is to pump hot air out of a house or pull cool air in. Try placing the fan near an open window in the evening to help move cooler air into the house.
Air conditioning is excellent but costly in money and to the environment. Use it wisely and only have it on when needed.
Top tip — Use fans to move cool air into the house.
9. Stay connected
During hot weather, stay connected with friends, family, or neighbours. Keep an eye on each other.
10. Signs of heat-related illnesses
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are serious conditions, and according to the NHS Website, signs of these conditions include:
tiredness
dizziness
headache
feeling sick or being sick
excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin
cramps in the arms, legs, and stomach
fast breathing or heartbeat
a high temperature
being very thirsty
weakness
And the suggested treatment (from NHS Website) is as follows:
Move the patient to a cool place.
Remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks.
Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink or cool water.
Cool their skin — spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs, wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck, are good too.
Stay with them until they're better. If there is no improvement after 30 minutes, seek medical help.
For more information, see the NHS Website.
Top tip — If you follow the advice in 1 to 8 above, you should be able to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke. But, if you do develop heat exhaustion and heatstroke, treat it seriously, as it can kill.
Travel — Nostalgia Corner
I thought I had survived “My most mad ski trip yet?” but I was wrong. A few days after returning to Malaysia, I came down with a chest infection I had caught on the plane from a passenger in front of me. The passenger had a very wet-sounding persistent cough. Not good.
Anyway, time for a different trip. This time to Yellowstone National Park, in the winter of 2013/14:
Exploring Yellowstone National Park in the Winter — the start of a sixteen-day trip to the States to visit Yellowstone in the middle of winter.
The start of my trip to Yellowstone Adventure — leaving the UK
Bozeman, Montana — a one-taxi company kind of town — exploring Bozeman, Montana and dealing with the local taxi firm
Howler’s Inn, Bozeman, Montana — sleeping next to wolves and the dangers of static electricity.
Skiing Bridger Bowl, Montana - What a delight! — time for some skiing.
Four days of skiing at Big Sky, Montana — four days of great skiing in freezing conditions.
Eating out — Big Sky, Montana — some local places to eat out.
Next week, I will share some stories about exploring Yellowstone National Park in winter.
Useful Links
Two useful summer-related links:
Dehydration — NHS Website
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke — NHS Website
Next week
Next week, in issue -31, I will look at how my new year’s resolutions are holding up and wrap up my winter trip to Yellowstone National Park.
Thanks
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If you want to say 'thanks' for the newsletter, why not buy me a cup of tea?
Until next time,
Nick
PS, If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, anything — please get in touch.