Curing the Ails of Summer
(Page 5 of 7)
June/July 1994
Mother Earth News Editors
Drink up — but not alcohol
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Want to celebrate summer with a cold beer and fun in the sun? Well, all that beer may lead to one big case of heat exhaustion, say experts. Beer, like other alcoholic drinks, can actually promote heat exhaustion by "fast-forwarding" dehydration, says Danny Wheat, head trainer for the Texas Rangers professional baseball team. (The team often plays in 100°F-plus conditions in Arlington, Texas.) Since beer is a diuretic that causes excessive urination, it should be avoided even before you venture into the hot sun. Instead of beer, stick to drinking water, fruit juices, or sports drinks. If you feel symptoms of heat exhaustion, Pedialyte and other rehydrant formulas for infants are also effective. (The Texas Rangers' staff gives them to their players in extremely hot weather, Wheat says.)
When to see the doctor
If someone has trouble walking, standing, answering questions coherently, or staying conscious after long heat exposure, she may have heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition in which the kidneys shut down and the body goes into shock. If you even suspect that a person has heatstroke, call for an ambulance. If you have to wait, cool the person by splashing cool water on her, wrapping her in soaked towels, moving her to an air-conditioned room, or immersing her in cool, shallow water.
SUNBURN
Limiting your sun exposure is essential, particularly between the sizzling summer hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The best prevention for your skin is also a wise protection: Wear sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 all the time.
Okay, you forgot. And now you're in pain. Well, you can try those old standbys, aloe and over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. Even an extra moisturizer can help a lot. And there are other remedies.
Just add milk
"Dip some gauze into milk and apply it to your sunburned skin," says dermatologist John F. Romano, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. The milk should be about room temperature or slightly cooler but not refrigerator-cold. "It's an excellent remedy for any kind of burn," notes Dr. Romano.
Keep this milk compress on the burn for 20 minutes or so, and repeat every two to four hours. Since milk can leave skin smelling "sour," rinse yourself off with cool water afterward.
Be soothed by vegetables
Boil some lettuce in water, then strain it and let the liquid cool for a few hours in the refrigerator before applying it to your skin with cotton balls, recommends Lia Schorr, a New York City skin care specialist and author of Lia Schorr's Seasonal Skin Care. Other vegetables that produce results? Thinly sliced pieces of raw cucumber, potato, or apple can be placed on sunburned areas such as the forearm. The coolness from the vegetables is soothing and might help reduce inflammation.
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