HOT WEATHER HAZARDS
HOT WEATHER HAZARDS
Suggestions for holiday-makers and new residents:
See Kyriakos the chemist in the first instance, but do not hesitate to consult a doctor (see telephone list at the front) if you are in any way worried about an illness or health problem. The information in this section is for general advice only.
It is easy to come to Cyprus and think that it is simple adjusting to the climate. There are, however, health hazards you should be aware of, and we are not just talking about the obvious problem of sunburn.
• Sun and heat: Avoid being in direct sun in the peak hours between 11 am and 3 pm. You will probably notice that most permanent residents avoid direct sun as much as we can.
If you are out in the sun slip, slap, slop as the Aussies say: slip on a T- shirt, slap on a hat, and slop on the sunscreen. Invest in sun suits for the children for the beach.
BEWARE: A locked car the the heat is a death trap, lethal for humans and animals. Never leave a child or anyone else, or an animal, in a car unattended.
• Sunburn is not only painful, it is dangerous and accelerates long term damage to your skin: take care.
• Heatstroke is also a real hazard for anyone who is not used to living in our climate: don’t do anything to invite it, such as taking major exercise in the heat, not drinking enough or thinking it won’t happen to you.
• Dehydration can sneak up on the unwary. Always have a bottle of water in a coolbag every time you go out in the car or for a walk and make sure you drink it all. Feeling thirsty is actually the last symptom of being dehydrated; when you feel thirst you are already dehydrated. Fizzy drinks do not solve the problem of dehydration in children; water or dilute fruit juice should be taken regularly. Babies need boiled water between each milk feed. A screaming baby with a red face is not just teething; it may well also be dehydrated and making the condition worse by crying.
• Kidney stones may also result from long term dehydration. They cause severe back or flank pain which may radiate down to the groin region. Sometimes kidney stones are accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, chills, fever and blood in the urine. An easy way to help prevent them forming is to have the juice of a lemon diluted in a litre of water every day.
• Insect bites: use repellents to avoid insect bites, use a mosquito net or an electrical repellent (or both) at night. If you do get bitten don’t scratch the bites, they can go septic. Keep anti-histamine handy.
• Septicaemia: We were teasing one of our members about the “gout” on his elbow: too many late nights… The swelling didn’t go down, and fortunately his wife dragged him into Paphos General Hospital. The doctor took one look and admitted him – he had blood poisoning. He was in for a week. The doctor said if he had put off going for treatment any longer the outcome might have been very much worse.
Septicaemia is much more of a problem in hot weather countries than in the UK, and you have to be very careful of general hygiene. Douse all scratches with antiseptic.
• Dust: Dust is a perennial problem in Pissouri, in addition to which we get dust storms all the way from Africa. These can cause breathing difficulties for people with chest problems, and hurt your eyes, so if you are likely to be susceptible shut yourself inside and close the windows during these storms or when the air quality is particularly bad. Ensure that bedding is beaten and aired regularly: dust-mites in mattresses cause many allergies.
Also, if you get dust in your eye take real care not to rub it. You risk causing an infection. Wash it out.
• Ear infections can become a problem if you don’t rinse your ears out with fresh water after swimming, either in the pool or the sea: always carry fresh water with you.
• Eyes. Look after them. It’s not till they start to let you down that you might realise the damage done by endless brilliant sunshine and Cyprus dust. Wear good quality sunglasses.