Exposure to the sun on hot days not only causes us discomfort, but can even endanger our lives, if it happens for long periods and without adequate protection.
Adequate protection can protect us from serious conditions PHOTO. Pixabay
The head is one of the most sensitive parts of the body when we talk about the danger of exposure to the sun on hot days. The forehead and scalp can overheat and even our lives can be put in danger. People with very short haircuts are the most exposed.
Doctor Dragoș Toader from the Olt County Ambulance Service explains why it is important to cover our head and forehead on hot days, when we cannot avoid exposure to the sun, in order to prevent serious events.
“Hyperthermia sets in very quickly at the cranial level because we don't have fat, we don't have muscle. We have skin, bone. Solar radiation is absorbed by the skin, immediately passes into the bone structure and enters the brain. In the brain, it produces cerebral edema, the convolutions swell, pressures increase, vasodilatation occurs and there is a risk of hemorrhagic stroke”, says the doctor.
Caps and hats, in light colors, to protect our scalp and forehead, are the most suitable for days when we cannot postpone an outing at times when the sun is particularly aggressive.
The signs that you have spent too much time in the sun and the body is suffering are usually migraine headaches, profuse sweating and feeling dizzy. In case of hyperthermia “you actually feel your forehead hot, very hot, when you put your palm you feel like you have a fever 40″explains Dr. Dragoș Toader.
The first thing we should do is try to cool our forehead and scalp with water. It is appropriate to use a towel or other textile item, preferably cotton or linen, which we soak in water and place on or around the head. If the situation is not so serious that specialist medical help is needed, medicines can be given to fight fever or headache.
In children, hyperthermia can set in even faster than in adults, warns the doctor, but children, due to the cartilaginous mobility of the cranial box, are less exposed to the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
Serious cases of stroke or heart attack, caused by long exposure to the sun, occur even today with greater frequency in rural areas, where work is carried out in the fields for hours, until after lunch, the doctor says.
To protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun's rays, including sunburn, it is important to protect ourselves by wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibers that cover our entire body. The recommendation is to limit the time spent under the direct action of the sun and to hydrate properly. Alcoholic drinks, regardless of the alcohol concentration, are contraindicated, as they cause dehydration.
