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Holiday health

Kate Hodal
23/ 6/2008

SUMMER fun can quickly turn sour with health irritations like heat rash and upset tummy.

But such common problems can be easily prevented - so here's a simple guide to how...

HEAT RASH

So you've finally got yourself out into the sun, and now your skin has broken into a prickly and itchy red rash. If you're in a hot or humid climate, this is probably due to the fact that you're sweating more than usual: the sweat is actually blocked underneath the skin, which causes the rash.

Dr Wendy Denning, who runs an integrated medical clinic in London says: "If you do develop a heat rash, avoid the sun, avoid sunscreen, eat lots of fruit and vegetables for the antioxidants in them, drink lots of water and cut out strawberries, nuts, alcohol, coffee, and red meat as they could all make it worse.

"Take a cool shower and get some low-grade hydrocortisone cream from your local pharmacy, or some calendula cream to soothe the skin. Taking some vitamin C and calcium supplements will also lower the histamine response in your body and help to decrease the rash."

HEATSTROKE

If you've been in the sun for a while lapping up the rays, watch out for heatstroke, which occurs when the temperature of the body rises sharply - either due to high outside temperatures or severe sunburn, says Dr Manuela Fontebasso, a York-based GP.

"Heatstroke is associated with severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations and potential fainting and collapsing," she explains. "Drinking loads of water, staying cool, and wrapping your body in cool sheets can all help," adds Dr Denning.

"Drink masses of water, take lot of minerals, and neutralise the heatstroke with the antioxidants in fruit and vegetables."

Heatstroke can prove fatal if left untreated, so see a doctor if you suspect you might have it.

SUNBURN

Sitting out in the sun for hours at a time not only increases your risk of melanoma, it can also cause skin blisters, severe burns, and that very unenviable look of a bright red Brit on holiday.

Dr Denning says: "If you know you'll be going out in the sun, take some vitamin E, selenium and betacarotene supplements in advance, as they've got natural sunscreens in them, and wear cream of at least SPF 30 (Sun Protection Factor) when in the sun.

Dr Denning recommends drinking at least two litres of water a day, and soothing the sunburn with calendula cream or aloe vera gel. If, however, your sunburn has turned into blisters, be careful with the delicate skin.

HOLIDAY TUMMY

After waiting months for your holiday to come round, you've finally made it out of the office into sunnier climes - and straight onto the toilet.

"The numbers of people getting food poisoning is definitely on the rise," says Dr Denning, "and that's because we tend to go on holiday tired and exhausted and our immune systems are down. Taking a good probiotic before and while you're away - BioCare's TravelGuard (pictured) is a good one."

Both Dr Denning and Dr Fontebasso are adamant that being cautious about local water and ice is key to staving off holiday tummy.

"Don't ever drink the local water and never take anything with ice in it," says Dr Fontebasso. "Avoid salads and unpeeled fruits too. And you want to avoid ice cream that's been melted and refrozen."

INSECT BITES

For those of you susceptible to insect bites, taking B vitamins, like B-12 or B-complex, can help prevent the pesky bugs from getting close to you - as do lavender and rosemary essential oils.

"If you react badly to any sort of bites, take some antihistamines before you go away," advises Dr Fontebasso. "Witch hazel gel is great to carry with you, and camomile works too."

Bites should die down within a day or two, but if they don't, watch them closely.

"If you start to get flu-like symptoms after you've been bitten, or the soreness starts to spread into general aches and pains," warns Dr Fontebasso, "you should go to hospital straight away as you don't want those bites to get infected."