Summer’s approaching.
What to do to not ruin your vacation.
Summer is almost here and we all can’t wait to leave for the holidays and reach our favorite destinations, whether it’s the sea or the mountains, the lake or the countryside.
The days are longer and the good weather recharges us.
The sun, good food, more fun activities and many opportunities to be outdoors.
But in this season it is also possible to come across a series of very unpleasant events.
In this article I will suggest a solution so, if you’re in Barcelona, your long-awaited and desired vacation is not going to be ruined.
Skin irritations and infections.
The first problem, the most common and frequent, is caused by prolonged and unprotected exposure to the sun.
This can lead to skin lesions of varying severity starting from redness or erythema to skin burns, more or less serious, ut to serious scorches.
To prevent these unpleasant situations I inteviewed LOIDA GALVANY, dermatologist at the Amedics center.
Q – Dr. GALVANY, to prevent these unpleasant conditions what is the advice of the dermatologist?
A – Avoid sun exposure from 11 to 14 and always use sunscreen 50+ and protect yourself with caps or hats.
Q – A question that certainly seems trivial but isn’t: how do I choose a sunscreen? Based on what characteristics should we choose the protection factor?
A – Depending on the type of skin and the area where we want to apply it. It is inappropriate to use a face cream on your arms and legs.
Q – Redness, rashes, skin burns are not the only problems caused by incorrect exposure to the sun. What other kinds of problems might arise?
A – Immediately, in addition to burns, allergic skin rashes or sun intolerances, exacerbations of dermatological diseases such as lupus or others.
Ultimately, long-term skin cancer can appear in areas of chronic sun exposure or sunburn.
Q – During the summer we usually spend whole days exposed to the sun: I often hear about insolations and heatstroke. What are they and how can they be prevented?
A – replies a doctor of General Medicine – Drink plenty of water, especially if you exercise;
take cold baths or showers;
use light clothes;
frequently wetting exposed skin with water;
avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, i.e. the moment of most intense and aggressive exposure;
avoid excess alcohol;
avoid extreme exercise (outdoor workouts) during the hottest temperatures.
Q – Obviously the warm season is not just for up humans. With the good weather, insects such as bees and wasps arrive, and for those who usually go to the beach, marine ones such as jellyfish. What does the doctor recommend in these cases of “close encounters”?
A – Depending on the degree of reaction of each skin, if the rash is mild with some lotion for stings it is sufficient, in case of moderate or severe reactions you should consult your dermatologist to prescribe the most appropriate treatment in each case.
Q – Tourists who come to Barcelona, what should they do if they come across these cases that you have just described to us?
A – If you are on holiday in Barcelona you can contact our Amedics medical center where you will find the dermatologist specialist.
Gastrointestinal diseases and food poisoning.
In summer, especially during the holidays, it is not unusual to come across intestinal disorders.
To better understand how to deal with and how to solve this problem, I met Dr. ALBA RIVAS, general medicine of the Amedics center.
Q – Dr. RIVAS, what are the main causes that lead to gastrointestinal diseases or food poisoning?
A – The main causes that lead to gastrointestinal diseases and food poisoning are generally associated with the ingestion of contaminated or inadequately prepared food.
The most common causes include bacteria due to lack of hygiene during processing and preparation of dishes, ingestion of raw or insufficiently cooked food, exposure to unsafe water and lack of food safety controls throughout the supply chain; other frequent causes can be viruses that infect the digestive tract causing gastrointeritis.
It is important for people to adopt preventive measures when consuming food outside the home, such as carefully selecting restaurants or bars, washing their hands correctly and more carefully if food is eaten with the hands (in the case of street-food) and ensuring that the food is well cooked and in the case of takeaway, stored safely.
In the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms, I obviously recommend that you consult your doctor to receive a timely, accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment.
Q – If unfortunately we get struck by a gastrointestinal infection or being affected by food poisoning, what should we do to not waste time and solve this condition as best as possible?
A – Initial treatment for food poisoning usually focuses on managing symptoms and preventing dehydration.
Some common practices are:
– rest and rehydration.
It is important to rest and drink plenty of fluids to replace fluids lost due to symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. I recommend consuming clear liquids such as water, broth or isotonic drinks.
Among medications without prescription, symptom relief medications include antiemetics that can be purchased to help control symptoms and provide temporary relief.
It is important to know that the use of antidiarrheals is not recommended without being sure of the etiology, as they could complicate the symptomatic picture.
– it is advisable to follow a bland diet, avoiding fatty, spicy and poorly digestible foods. Foods such as rice, toast, cooked vegetables, and boiled chicken may be included.
– the use of “probiotics” available without prescription in the pharmacy (taking advice from the pharmacist based on the initial symptoms) can be associated with the previously indicated points, including LACTIBIANE IMEDIA (Pileje), PRODEFEN PLUS (Italfarmaco) and OSMOBITIC FLORA (Boiron ), with a recommendation of one dose per day until the product pack is used up.
– only as a preventive measure in patients predisposed to gastroenteritis, before the trip, it is recommended to take a daily dose of LACTIBIANE VIAJE / VOYAGE from the day before the trip, in addition to following all the recommended preventive measures to prevent gastroenteritis during travel.
It is vital to see a doctor if symptoms worsen or persist for more than a few days, if severe dehydration is evident, or if complications develop.
At the Amedics Medical Center a specialist can evaluate the situation and determine if additional treatment is needed such as intravenous therapy or specific drugs depending on the causative agent of food poisoning.
Cervical issues and generic injuries.
On this topic I’m super informed mostly because I often being affected by neck pain and muscle contractures.
Fortunately, I don’t get to experience nausea or dizziness, but you always have to be careful.
Several times the doctors I have consulted have always told me to avoid environments with air conditioning, not to expose myself to air flows and, above all, not let wet hair dry by themselves.
For injuries, a very common chapter in the summer opens up there. In summer, between outdoors runs, soccer matches or beach volley with friends, the chances of getting hurt are higher.
Risk of sprains or fractures are problems that could seriously compromise our vacation.
Also in this case, if you find yourself in Barcelona, I would recommend the Amedics Medical Centre, due to its orthopedics and first aid department will be able to help you in the best possible way.
