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Care in the sun

Slip, slop, slap to stay safe in the sun

The Australians follow a ‘slip, slop, slap’ approach to the sun – slip on a t-shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sun cream.

It’s a good way to remember three simple steps you can take to protect yourself before you go out on a sunny day.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, and it’s a growing problem. It is caused by damage from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays so protecting your skin from the sun can help prevent these cancers.
What sun cream should I use?

It’s recommended that you use a sun cream with both UVA and UVB protection and one which has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 with a 4 or 5 star rating – you’ll find this information on the label.

Sun cream should be applied in a thick layer before you go out, and reapplied at least every two hours, more often if you’re sweating or if you swim.
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security though, you need to practice ‘safe sun’ in other ways too. This means avoiding the danger hours in the middle of the day – from 11.00am – 3.00pm.

Take special care

Skin damage can occur even when the sun doesn’t feel hot – in fact you can’t feel UV damaging your skin, which is why it’s so important to take special care.

You don’t have to be sunbathing to be at risk, if you work outdoors, or you’re playing sport outdoors, you still need to be careful and follow these suggestions. And, if you have pale skin you will need to be extra cautious.

You should always take extra care of children’s skin, as well as following the guidelines above, it’s a good idea to keep them in the shade as much as possible and keep them covered up.

Check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer

Make a habit of checking your own skin, and ask other people – such as a beautician or a chiropodist – to keep an eye on areas that you can’t see easily, such as your back, the back of your legs or neck. If skin cancer is caught early, it is highly curable. But if it’s ignored – or undiscovered – it can be fatal.

When to see your GP

If a new mole or mark appears and doesn’t go away within 4 to 6 weeks it’s important to have it checked by your GP. Also moles which are getting bigger, changing their outline, changing colour, itching, crusting, oozing or bleeding, or a mole which stands out or just looks different – should all be checked by your GP.

Keep warm and well in the winter

When it comes to the winter months it’s worth taking a few extra precautions to make sure you stay warm and well.

Cold weather claims lives every year, and in particular it can make heart and respiratory problems worse. It’s especially important for older people, families with young children and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions to take care and follow the tips below to staying warm and well:

1. Keep your home warm – set your central heating to between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (18-21 degrees Centigrade). Ideally you should heat the room you sit in during the day to 70 degrees, and your bedroom to 65 degrees. It’s also a good idea to set the heating to come on earlier in the morning when it’s very cold, so you’re not waiting for your home to warm up.

Wiltshire Warmth
Wiltshire Council won monies from the Depart of Health Warmer Homes Healthy People fund at the end of last year. The funds are being used for a programme called Wiltshire Warmth, running between January and March 2012. NHS Wiltshire is very pleased to be a partner in the Wiltshire Warmth Programme
 
The focus of the programme is on providing vulnerable households with information about how to make homes warmer and more fuel efficient. There are a range of schemes and grants available, all with different criteria, etc, so the aim is to put all the information in one place so people are less confused about what is available.  Training and awareness-raising with community staff as part of the programme will enable them to identify problems in homes they visit, and signpost people to the right kind of support.   We will be doing refresher training with neighbourhood teams, health trainers, health visitors and school nurses.

To find out more download the Wiltshire Warmth leaflet.

2. Vomiting and diarrhoea bugs caused by norovirus are common in winter and very infectious. The best advice is to stay at home and drink plenty of fluids until the symptoms pass. You should wait 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped before going back to work or school as the norovirus is highly infectious.

3. Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet, with supplies of ibuprofen, paracetamol and your favourite cold remedy at hand.

What about flu?

If you’re over 65, or you have a health condition, you can have a seasonal flu jab free of charge on the NHS. Immunity takes effect almost immediately. Just call you GP to make an appointment.

If you do fall ill with flu, the best course of action is to stay at home, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Flu is caused by a virus so cannot be treated with antibiotics – this means it’s not normally necessary to see your GP.

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