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July is UV Safety Awareness Month

Stay Safe in the Summertime

For many people, summer is the best time of the year. However, nothing puts the brakes on a good summer day like a bad sunburn. Put plans in place to protect your family as they enjoy all summer has to offer.

Protect your skin from the summer sun. Wear sunscreen every day, no matter how long you plan to be outside. Use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect against UVB and UVA radiation. If you are fair skinned or plan to be outdoors all day, opt for an SPF of 30 or higher.

You can also protect yourself by:

  • Staying in the shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.;
  • Wearing a broad-brimmed hat and light-colored clothing that covers up your skin (pants and long sleeves); and
  • Wearing sunglasses that bock UV rays.

Exposure to excessive heat can cause some illnesses and make existing health issues, like heart and respiratory diseases, worse. Heat-related illness can cause hyperthermia. Hyperthermia happens when the body is not able to cool itself the right way because of high heat. If the weather forecast includes high heat:

  • Find air conditioning;
  • Stay in the shade and skip strenuous activities;
  • Wear lightweight clothing;
  • Check on friends and family;
  • Drink plenty of water; and
  • Watch for heat cramps and heat exhaustion and heat stroke symptoms.

Even if it isn’t very hot outside, never leave children or pets in a car. Heatstroke in children can happen in a car when the outside temperature is as low as 57 degrees.

If you see symptoms of a heat-related illness, call 911 or get the person to a hospital right away. Quick treatment of heat-related illnesses is vital. Aggressive fluid replacement and cooling of core body temperature is critical to preventing death. Cool down with any methods on hand until you can get medical help.

To access the full article on summer safety for kids, click here.

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