05 Jan Health & Wellbeing Newsletter – January 2023
January Health and Wellbeing News – Stay Safe in the Heat and the Sun
What’s Sunburn
Sunburn is the skin’s reaction to too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. You can see sunlight and feel heat (infrared radiation), but you can’t see or feel UV radiation. It can damage your skin even on cool, cloudy days. Sunburn is a radiation burn to the skin. The signs of sunburn can start to appear in as little as 11 minutes and skin can turn red within 2 to 6 hours of being burnt. It will continue to develop for the next 24 to 72 hours and, depending on the severity, can take days or weeks to heal. AVOID SUNBURN BY USING AN SPF 50, staying indoors in the hottest part of the day, wearing a hat and long loose clothing
Heat Related Illness
HEAT kills more Australians than any natural disaster….
Extreme heat can affect anybody. Those most at risk include older people, young children, breast feeding women and people with certain medical conditions.
Heat-related illness occurs when our body is unable to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy temperature. Normally, the body cools itself by sweating, but sometimes sweating isn’t enough and the body temperature keeps rising.
Heat-related illness can range from mild conditions such as a heat rash or cramps to very serious conditions such as heatstroke, which can kill. Overexertion in hot weather, sun or bushfire exposure, and exercising or working in hot, poorly ventilated or confined areas can increase your risk of heat-related illness.
Symptoms for Heat related illness may include
- Very high body Temperature
- Red, hot, dry skin with no sweating
- Dry swollen tongue
- Rapid pulse
- Head ache or dizziness, confusion, nausea or vomiting
- Seizure or loss of consciousness
Take precautions to avoid Heat Illness
- During hot weather, drink plenty of water – even when you don’t feel thirsty
- Never leave anyone in a car – temperatures in cars rises very quickly
- Stay somewhere cool – use air conditioning and fans, wear light clothes, have cold showers
- Plan your activities or work for the coolest time of the day
- Check in on others, like neighbours who may be at risk in the heat
Treatment for Heat Illness
- HEAT STROKE is a medical emergency – call 000 – even if you’re unsure
- Stop all activity and go to a cool area down
- Remove any excess clothing to help cool down
- Drink Cool water if possible Wet your skin with cool water of clothes
- See your doctor if your condition does not improve in an hour or two
Other bits and pieces
Looking for a podcast to listen to?
All in the Mind – One of top 10 health pods in Australia 2022 Tune into this ABC series for ‘an exploration of all things mental’. It’s about our brains and behaviour, with host Lynne Malcolm If you have a favorite podcast, let me know!
Easy Summer Salad Curried Couscous
A delicious easy salad to make with ingredients in the cupboard, have it as a side to a lamb chop or fish!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/140319/easy-curry-couscous/
What’s On Next Month? FEBFAST or FEBFIT
This February, you get to choose how you’ll change young people’s lives.
Pick febfast, and you can give up a vice of your choice for the whole month, and raise funds for YSAS’(Youth Support & Advocacy Service) drug and alcohol programs.
Or if you choose febfit, you can get moving for 25 minutes a day to help young people walk away from addiction.
Are you in? Sign up for February’s 28 days of febfast or febfit
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