Heat is on

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

FROM DEHYDRATION TO HEAT FATIGUE, SUNBURN TO STINGS – HERE’S HOW TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY, AND KEEP YOUR COOL AS TEMPERATURES RISE

Australia claimed its fourth-warmest year on record in 2020, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Heatwaves aff ected large parts of the country, and we are likely to swelter again through the coming months. Dr Mark Edwards, Rural Emergency Medicine registrar at Sonic HealthPlus Mount Isa GP Super Clinic, says: “Australia is a beautiful country with a beautiful climate, but in summer we need to think ahead and prepare.”

Dehydration

In summer, one of the most common mistakes people make is not drinking enough water and becoming dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include a dry mouth, headache, going to the toilet less often and urine that is a darker colour than usual.

“Young children and the elderly can get sick quite quickly. Children might become irritable and upset, or lethargic and not very responsive,” Dr Edwards says. What to do: Drink plenty of water and pass clear urine at least once a day. Avoid alcohol, coff ee and sugary drinks that can make dehydration worse.

Dehydration can progress to heat fatigue or heat exhaustion. Signs of this are more severe — headaches, dizziness, irritability, tiredness, nausea and muscle cramps. If this happens, rest in a cool place, dampen skin and switch on airconditioning or a fan, Dr Edwards advises, and drink plenty of water. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.

“Your body tries to control its temperature and fails, so your core temperature starts to climb. If someone has heat stroke, they can be delirious or become unconscious and their skin will be mottled and pale,” Dr Edwards says.

Other warning signs are a rapid pulse and rapid, noisy breathing. They may have stopped sweating, too. What to do: “Call 000, drench the person with water and turn up the airconditioning. This situation needs medical help,” Dr Edwards says. Wrap the person in wet towels and place ice packs around their neck, groin and armpits.

Sunburn

One in four Australians aged 25-44 is sunburnt on summer weekends, according to the Summer Sun Protection Survey.

Children are particularly at risk as they have more sensitive skin than adults. It’s UV — not heat — that causes sunburn and DNA damage that can lead to cancer, so sun protection is recommended whenever the UV Index is 3 or higher.

“Signs of sunburn can start in as little as 10 to 15 minutes and include painful reddening of the skin, blistering, itching and peeling,” says Heather Walker, head of SunSmart at Cancer Council Victoria. Longer term, sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer and skin ageing. What to do: Check the free SunSmart app or the Bureau of Meteorology to fi nd out the UV

Snake bites

The Royal Flying Doctor Service estimates there are 3000 cases of snake bite each year, and around 550 of those cases end up in hospital. Most cases involve brown snakes. What to do: To reduce the risk of being bitten, stay away from places where snakes hide, such as holes in the ground, crevices, long grass or under logs. Wear jeans and boots and, if you see a snake, don’t provoke it.

“Stay calm if you are bitten — if you become animated, you spread the poison,” Dr Edwards says.

“Gently place a dressing over the bite and don’t apply a tourniquet. Immobilise the arm or leg to prevent the venom spreading, and call 000.”

It’s UV — not heat — that causes sunburn and DNA damage that can lead to cancer ...

rating. When the UV Index is 3 or higher you need to slip on clothing and slop on broad spectrum, waterresistant sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher. Slap on a hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.

“Mild sunburn can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, bathing the area in cool water or applying cold compresses and drinking water,” Heather says.

“Resist the temptation to pop blisters or peel skin, and apply antiseptic cream if skin peels to reduce the risk of infection.”

Seek medical help if you have extensive blistering and pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, fever and dizziness.

Stings

Most people get a local reaction after being stung by bees, wasps and ants — usually some pain, swelling, redness and itching.

But stings may cause a severe allergic reaction in some people, and can lead to collapse, diffi culty breathing, talking or swallowing, coughing, wheezing, rash and swollen mouth, throat or tongue. What to do: Insects are particularly active at dawn and dusk, so cover up at these times. If you can see the sting, scrape it away using your fi ngernail or the edge of a bank card and then wash the area. For wasps and ant stings, apply a cold pack and take an antihistamine. In the case of a severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, call 000 and use an EpiPen to administer adrenalin.

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Healing after a skin cancer

WORDS CHARMAINE YABSLEY

If you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer — whether a basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or melanoma — it is likely your specialist will take steps to remove the off ending skin cells, plus some skin surrounding it. Whether a scar remains depends on the depth and width of the skin cancer, but there are some steps you can take to minimise permanent scarring and encourage healthy skin cell growth.

Your skin specialist may use a topical treatment, such as creams or gels that can be applied at home, usually fi ve days a week for six weeks. Topical treatments are usually recommended for superfi cial BCCs and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease).

In other instances, cryotherapy — liquid nitrogen — may be applied to remove sunspots and small BCCs.

“The area will blister initially and then weep for a few weeks,” says Associate Professor Stephen Shumack from The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

To treat the area, bathe with saline solution and apply a nonstick dressing. “As the crust forms, apply an ointment such as Vaseline. After the crust falls off (around one to four weeks later) then a bland moisturiser can be used for a few weeks,”

Assoc Prof Shumack says.

Some BCCs and early SCCs can be treated by injecting a local anaesthetic into the area and then removed using a curette, after which the skin is cauterised.

Scarring can be more of an issue with this treatment, and your doctor may suggest using a silicone-containing gel for six to eight weeks after the wound has healed.

Caring for stitches

“After stitches are removed it is important not to stretch that area of skin for a week or two as the wound will still be fragile. The area is best treated with an ointment such as Vaseline, or a silicone gel formulation for healing scars,” Assoc Prof Shumack says.

Post-treatment skincare

BCCs make up about 70 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers.

Having one BCC increases the risk of getting another.

“It’s vital to apply sun protection, which contains an SPF 50+ product, and cover with clothing or hats to protect from the sun,” Assoc Prof Shumack says.