By now, slathering on sunscreen before stepping out the door should be a year-round habit, but your epidermis is not the only thing being affected by el sol. Other parts of your body can be negatively affected by the sun, sounds and soaring heat of the summer months. Here’s how to protect five of them from harm.
Kidneys
Summer Hazard: Heat
When it’s hot, you’re at a greater risk for dehydration, which over time could lead to kidney stones. “Kidney stones form because of an imbalance of salt and water within the kidneys,” says Jonathan Harper, M.D., associate professor of urology at the University of Washington in Seattle, adding that a salty diet and inactivity also can be contributing factors. While kidney stones are most common in adults 30 to 50 years old, you’re at risk even if you’re in your 20s, and high-protein diets such as Atkins, Paleo and keto can cause other urinary issues that may increase kidney-stone risk, Harper says.
Safety check: Stay active, eat a lower-salt diet and stay well-hydrated, consuming anywhere from 80 to 100 ounces of water daily. Adding electrolytes to your water can help replenish water loss from sweating and help promote hydration, and eating a diet with a healthy balance of macronutrients with plenty of fresh produce can help deflect kidney stones.
Ears
Summer Hazard: Loud Noises
Ah, the sounds of summer — fireworks, outdoor concerts, lawn mowers. Though you might associate these noises with happy, lazy days, if you’re not careful, they also could mean noise-induced hearing loss. Hearing loss generally occurs over time when noise is about 85 decibels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, some hearing loss can be immediate at certain levels. “Hair cells [in the ears] can die, which will affect your hearing,” says Oliver Adunka, M.D., director of otology, neurology and cranial base surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Safety check: Because noise-induced hearing loss is cumulative and irreversible, your best bet is to avoid loud noises, or at least damper their effects. When doing yard work, watching fireworks or going to concerts, wear ear plugs. As for your headphones, if you can’t hear other people talking or if people have to shout to be heard from only 3 feet away, your music is too loud, according to the Center for Hearing and Communication.
How Loud are the Sounds of Summer?
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