Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph –
As temperatures rise and summer activities are in full swing, using personal risk management remains the No. 1 way to stay cool and beat the heat, which is the theme behind a Critical Days of Summer weekly topic called "Hot Fun in the Summertime."
Of popular summer activities that include barbecuing, visiting parks, swimming and motorcycling, exposure to sunlight is the common denominator, Marvin Joyce, 502nd Air Base Wing safety and occupational health specialist, said.
"Sunburn, heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses may not cause a fatality, but can cause lost work days and days of pain," he said. "A simple, effective way to prepare is by having a list of necessities for all your activities."
At the top of the list are applying sunblock, wearing proper clothing and staying hydrated.
All sunblocks have a sun protection factor rating, which indicates how long they will remain effective on skin, but choosing one can get complicated, Staff Sgt. Jason Boyd, 359th Aerospace-Medicine Squadron aerospace and operational physiology craftsman, said.
"You can determine how long your sunblock will last by multiplying the SPF factor by the length of time it takes for you to get sunburned when not wearing sunblock," he said.
For example, an SPF rating of 15 will give a person who sunburns without sunblock in 10 minutes about 150 minutes of protection.
"It's important to try several different brands to find which one works and feels the best for your skin type," Boyd said. "As a recommendation, use a sunblock with an SPF of at least 30 with reapplications about every two hours," primarily because swimming or sweating causes them to lose effectiveness.
When it comes to being outdoors, proper attire depends on the activity, but in general, "think light and loose," Boyd said.
"When you get hot, you sweat, and to cool off, you need that sweat to evaporate," he said. "It's evaporation that drains heat from your body. So if you're exercising in the heat, wear as little as possible."
When motorcycling, wearing a long sleeve cotton shirt not only keeps the body cool, but prevents it from overexposure to ultraviolet rays, especially on the arms, Joyce said.
"Loose clothing allows air to pass along the skin and exit, thus speeding evaporation and carrying off excess heat," Boyd said.
Whatever the body loses in sweat must be put back with water.
"Water makes up more than half of your body weight and staying hydrated can become an issue," Boyd said. "Most people have been told they should drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
"However, different people need different amounts to sufficiently stay hydrated."
To practice good hydration, make it a habit to keep a water bottle with you throughout the day and to drink water before, during and after exercise, Joyce said.
"With any summer activity, always bring an extra bottle of water or two, just in case," Joyce added. "Water is a big part of us and we need it to cool off, function properly and to maintain normal temperature."