First heat and UV exposure: the right things to do

in collaboration with

Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)

As an intense heat wave hits northern India (49.2°C), the first solar risks appear in France. Sunburn, sunstroke, malaise, accidental drowning, melanoma…. The spring sun can also cause irreversible damage to health. Even tanned, you must therefore continue to protect yourself.

First rays of sun: beware danger

If the sun has many benefits – it boosts morale and promotes the production of vitamin D – the risks it can represent are very real.

In the short term, ultraviolet rays can cause sunburn, sunstroke, allergies and even eye damage. Indeed, observing the sun without glasses can lead to ophthalmic abnormalities such as cataracts, AMD, ophthalmia or a malignant tumor of the eye.

In the long term, the risks are more harmful because skin damage accumulates over the years: premature aging of the skin – wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots – and in the worst case, skin cancer.

Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, asthmatics, heart or respiratory failure, are particularly sensitive to exposure.

Outdoor professions such as farmers, gardeners, breeders, masons, sea rescuers are also affected.

To prevent these sun risks, the WHO recommends exposure for less than 15 minutes (for fair skin) and up to 1 hour for black skin before 12 p.m. and after 4 p.m.

Heat: simple actions to adopt

When the thermometer climbs, the organism must adapt. It initiates heat exchange mechanisms such as perspiration and dilation of skin vessels. The heart rate the heart rate also increases in order to irrigate the extremities more quickly. The most fragile risk heart failure.

This is why it is essential to protect yourself. Here are Dr. Kierzek’s recommendations for dealing with the heat:

• Avoid exposure between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.;
• Ventilate the house before and after the hottest hours;
• Wear rather bright and loose clothing;
• Pay attention to young people (and not only the most fragile), because they are among the first to suffer from heatstroke.

Employers also have the obligation to “modify the working hours” of workers in order to protect them from sun risks.