With temperatures high this week, health experts across the county are advising people to stay safe and well during the hot weather.
Shropshire Council’s Stay Safe and Well this Summer webpages offers a host of advice for people young and old, to help keep cool and hydrated throughout the hot weather.
The website also provides advice and information on home and personal safety, and signposts people to other summer-related advice including:
Why is a heatwave a problem?
The main risks posed by a heatwave are:
Tips for coping in hot weather
Beat the heat – Public Heath England infographic
Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for public health, said:-
“With temperatures high this week, we strongly advise residents to look after each other in the hot weather. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can both be very serious if they are not treated quickly, especially for our very young or very old, or for those with long-term illnesses.
“Our ‘Stay Safe and Well this Summer’ webpages provide a host of information and advice to help you keep well, whilst enjoying the sunny weather. I’d therefore encourage anyone seeking summer health advice to visit our pages at shropshire.gov.uk/stay-safe-and-well-this-summer/.
“We fully understand that people want to be outside during the warm weather, but please remember that if you or anyone in your household have symptoms of coronavirus you must stay at home to prevent the spread.”
COVID-19
We still have much to learn about how COVID-19 affects the body but both heat and the virus put a strain on the heart, lungs, and kidneys, and are linked to inflammation in the body.
People that suffer with the following clinical vulnerabilities will be at greater risk of COVID-19 and heat-related harms, and should continue to limit contact to reduce their risk and stay safe in the heatwave.
More advice can be found at Beat the Heat: Coping with heat and COVID-19 and Beat the Heat: Coping with heat and COVID-19 guidance
River safety
On a hot day, it might seem like a great idea to cool down in open water. However, it is strongly advised to stay out of the water as there are too many risks that you can’t see hidden below the surface. Here are some tips to stay safe:-
Hayfever
Hayfever is the most common seasonal allergy, affecting one in five of us at some point in our lives, and the symptoms can make life very difficult for sufferers. It can come and go at any time in life so for those that haven’t had it before it can take us by surprise.
Symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes as pollen causes the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed. As well as seeking advice from your local pharmacist to ease its symptoms, sufferers can take some basic precautions to help prevent hayfever, including applying a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) below the nostrils to trap pollen grains, and wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in the eyes.
It’s also a good idea to take a shower and change your clothes after being outdoors, and try to stay indoors when the pollen count is particularly high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air).
Although there is no cure for hayfever, there are many over-the-counter remedies available from your local pharmacy to help make life and the condition easier to manage during the summer months. Pharmacists are fully trained health professionals who can offer useful advice on treatments for hayfever, such as antihistamines. Antihistamines help block the action of the chemical histamine, which the body releases when it thinks it is under attack from an allergen like pollen. Decongestants can also help to relieve a blocked nose which is often caused by hayfever, as well as dust allergies and pet allergies.
For those already taking regular medication, pharmacists can advise on the most appropriate treatments that won’t interfere with it. If you’ve tried over-the-counter medicines but are still struggling with troublesome symptoms it may be worth speaking to your GP, as you may need prescription medication.
Advice on how to reduce the risk either for yourself or somebody you know can be found on NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk/summerhealth. You can also visit your local pharmacy or call NHS 111.
To find your nearest pharmacy in Shropshire visit http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Pharmacy/LocationSearch/10
For more information on staying safe and well this summer, visit Shropshire Council’s Stay Safe and Well this Summer at https://shropshire.gov.uk/stay-safe-and-well-this-summer/
Further Information
Heat-Health Alert from Public Health England and the Met Office
Level 3 – Heatwave Action
There is a 90 % probability of Heat-Health Alert criteria being met between just past midnight early tomorrow (Tuesday 20 July 2021) and 9am on Thursday 22 July 2021 in parts of England.
Latest forecast details can be obtained at the following link: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/#?tab=map
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