KT For Good: Shield yourself, stay safe from the heat

In the last part of our #BeSummerSafe campaign, we wrap up all the important subjects covered in the last two weeks to enhance your awareness to be safe in the warmer months.

Summer is fun - no school for kids, families go on holidays or spend 'staycations' to relax and unwind. But it is also a season of sweltering heat and a time to be extra careful.
That's why in the past two weeks, we ran a #KTForGood campaign focusing on how we can #BeSummerSafe. We shared helpful tips and insights on how we can keep ourselves, the kids and our families safe and healthy under the sun. We also shared practical advice on how we can have our homes, properties, pets and plants safe and sound.
Khaleej Times kicked off the two-week campaign with practical home safety tips. And we say it again: Before leaving your home for a long vacation be sure that it is protected from theft and fire-safe. Instal security devices, including remote home-monitoring, smart security cameras, or better yet, ask your next-door neighbour to look after your house.
The Dubai Police offer free home security service to residents who would be leaving for vacations. Also, double-check all electrical connections and make sure all appliances are unplugged before leaving the house.
On another note, a story that really caught everyone's attention was how a woman lost her husband to dehydration in Dubai.
Last summer, Dubai-based dietician Archana Arora lost her husband, while he was on his routine cycling round. After 90 minutes of cycling in the open, 47-year-old Rajiv complained of nausea, vomiting and dizziness. He was already suffering from dehydration.
Archana said: "He felt restless and then vomited. The smart band he wore showed he had over-exerted which led his heart rate to shoot up to 160. When your heart beats extremely fast and there is dehydration, the heart is unable to pump blood to the upper part of the body."
This is the reason why doctors and nutritionists always say: "Hydration, hydration, hydration." On the same topic of hydration, we also reminded everyone to have a summer-friendly diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be on top of the food list.
Another highlight of our #BeSummerSafe was a reminder not to leave a kid inside a car, not even for a few minutes. As experts said, a crash is not the only incident that can get a child killed inside a car. Heat stroke pose serious risks and medical experts have said it is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths in children under 15 years.
Heat stroke happens when the body is not able to cool itself quickly enough. Leaving a child inside a locked car, for just 15 minutes, can be fatal because a child's body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult's.
But there are many reminders that can prevent kids from getting trapped inside a car. On top of it all, take action. Protecting children is everyone's business. If you see an unattended child in a car, you should immediately call 999.
On another note, UAE residents usually jet off to cooler climates to beat the heat in summer, but for animal lovers, it turns tough as their pets become an issue that needs to be taken care off.
Experts suggest if you are in the UAE for the summer, you could help out another family take care of their pets while away on holiday.
And what does summer do to our skin? Dr Piyu Naik, specialist dermatologist at Saudi German Hospital said that too much sun is bad for our skin.
Not only can we get tanned - which is not always a bad thing - but over-exposure to sun rays can cause premature ageing of skin, too.
We also need to protect our eyes from excessive and harmful sunlight. According to Dr Shaunak Chaudhary, optometrist at the NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi, when our eyes are exposed to excessive amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radiation over a short period of time, we are likely to experience an effect called photokeratitis. It is highly painful - but usually temporary - and can cause burn to the cornea.
This sunburn of the eye is painful and often includes uncomfortable symptoms like extreme sensitivity to light, excessive tearing and a gritty sensation in the eyes. The best way to protect eyes from harmful UV radiation is to wear sunglasses that block 100 per cent UV whenever we are outdoors in broad daylight.
But don't be afraid of the sun as it is a mood enhancer. Sunlight helps us produce more serotonin, a mood-boosting hormone. Just make sure you maintain a good skincare regimen.
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• KT For Good