When the summer season finally rolls around, it’s only natural that you want to spend time outdoors. Whether it’s swimming, hiking, or simply relaxing in the sun, summer is the perfect time of year to partake in many of your favorite pastimes. However, for older individuals, this time of year can bring about more than just opportunities for fun—it can also mean potential danger. Though it’s unsafe for anyone to be out in the heat for too long, seniors are particularly susceptible to injury as a result of being outdoors. Because of this, it’s crucial that every older person knows how to protect themselves if they plan to leave their homes this summer. These are a few summer safety tips for seniors to maximize protection while having fun in the sun.
Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration affects the human body in several different ways, and none of them are particularly good for your health. In fact, as we age, the dangers of dehydration become increasingly more impactful on our overall state of being. Symptoms that didn’t hinder us as much when we were younger begin to cause more severe and longer-lasting issues than we’re often prepared to deal with. Because of this, it’s vital to drink water continuously when spending time out in the heat.
Keep Yourself Cool
As a senior, you should also try to keep yourself cool whenever possible. The warmer our bodies are, the more difficulty we have performing normal bodily functions. As such, overheating can cause a variety of health ailments such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion. To best maintain a tolerable body temperature, it’s beneficial to make specific lifestyle changes in the summer—like wearing lighter clothing or eating more fruit. These things will keep you hydrated and reduce your chances of overheating.
Wear Sunscreen
Make sure that you wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun as well. As our skin burns, it loses its ability to guard us against bacterial invaders that can make us sick. Since seniors are at higher risk for this anyway, do all you can to ensure that you’re protected. The sun could also cause you to develop painful skin conditions that further weaken your immune system.
Protect Your Eyes
Another crucial summer safety tip for seniors to remember is that your eyes are just as susceptible to the sun as your skin. Prolonged sun exposure can put strain on a senior’s eyes and cause irreversible damage to their vision. It can also speed up the rate at which an individual loses their eyesight and make it more difficult to perform everyday tasks. For this reason, you should always wear sunglasses when exposing yourself to the sun.
