Indeed, in the Philippines, summer is a time for fun. Students are on vacation and it is time for outings in beaches and resorts. But it is also the time when the sun is at its brightest and the environmental temperature at its hottest.

This time of the year, noon temperatures are particularly punishing and can range from 32 to 38 degrees Celsius. People should not be prevented from enjoying themselves, but at the same time they should be aware of the health risks that are associated with exposure to the sun and heat. The heat and the sun claim scores of victims every year, including a few deaths.

The health risks of sun exposure are primarily due to the ultraviolet (UV) rays that the sun emits. The amount of UV rays from the sun that reaches the earth are higher now than decades ago because of the thinning of the ozone layer — which blocks solar radiation — that has occurred as a result of our indiscriminate use of carbofluorocarbons (CFC) and other similar chemicals.

The health conditions associated with overexposure to the sun can be categorized into two: acute and chronic.

The most common acute condition that is caused by exposure to the sun is sunburn. Sunburns, even when mild, can be very painful. They can also cause fever, gastrointestinal manifestations, malaise and prostration. Severe sunburn can lead to blister formation that can become infected. For sunburns, cooling and soothing wet dressings are often helpful. So are calamine and starch lotions, but greasy substances should not be applied.

Incidentally, prickly heat or miliaria is another relatively benign but irritating condition that is common in sunny, warm and humid weather like what we have during summer. In prickly heat, the ducts of the sweat glands get obstructed and sweat is trapped. These results in the characteristic skin rashes and itchiness associated with the condition. The treatment for prickly heat is basically the same as that for sunburn.

Chronic sun exposure, on the other hand, leads to premature aging of the skin and, worse, is a major risk factor in the development of skin cancers including malignant melanoma, a highly invasive malignancy whose incidence has been rising the last decades all over the world.

With regard to the health risks of heat exposure, there are basically four medical disorders that are caused by excessive exposure to hot environment. In increasing severity, these conditions are: heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat syncope is characterized by loss of consciousness while heat cramps is characterized by muscle spasms, but both are associated with moist and cool skin and a weak pulse. People suffering from these conditions should be transferred to a cool environment, given a lot of fluids and allowed to rest.

The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, on the other hand, include slight to moderate fever, increased pulse rate, moist skin, thirst, anxiousness, and sometimes, incoherence and disorientation. Heat exhaustion, if untreated, results in the collapse of the body’s heat regulating mechanism and heat stroke. The latter is a life-threatening emergency that is marked by a very high body temperature (41 degrees Celsius or higher). Persons afflicted with heat exhaustion and heat stroke are best treated in the hospital. First aid measures, which should be applied on the way to the hospital, include removal from the hot environment and cooling of the skin by spraying with water or applying cold compresses.

You can minimize the health risks of overexposure to the sun and the heat by observing the following measures:

Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when it is hottest. Confine your swimming and other outdoor activities to the early morning and late afternoon hours. Likewise, avoid being under the sun for long stretches.

Clothing and hats provide the best protection against the sun. So, "slip a shirt and slap a hat." Be sure clothing is loose, cool and light colored.

When you go out in the sun, apply sunscreen cream or lotion liberally. Check the label of the sunscreen when you buy one. The ideal sunscreen should have a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

Drink plenty of fluids even if you are not thirsty. In a hot environment, take two to four glasses of fluids (water is best) per hour. Don’t drink alcohol, or beverages that contain large amounts of sugar — these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. If you sweat too much, sports beverages could be taken instead of plain water.

Never leave children or animals in parked cars. Even on cool days, strong sunshine can make car interiors very hot.