Sometimes you don't notice it until the evening: your skin feels tight, your head is heavy, and your circulation feels shaky. After a day at the lake, gardening, spending time on the balcony, or running errands in the city, a hot day can have a longer-lasting effect than expected.
The important thing now is not to try to be brave and carry on. Get out of the sun, cool down, drink water, and take warning signs seriously. Especially with children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions, you should not wait long if things get significantly worse.
First step: get out of the sun and heat
- Find shade or a cool room: Do not continue sitting in the sun.
- Loosen tight or warm clothing: Airy clothing helps with cooling down.
- Drink water: In small sips, not ice-cold and not frantically.
- Cool gently: Place cool, damp cloths on your neck, arms, or legs.
- Rest: Postpone sports, gardening, housework, and errands.
Sunburn: cool, do not irritate
A sunburn is more than just slight redness. The skin is irritated, warm, and sensitive. Now it needs protection and rest.
- Cool, but not ice-cold: Take a lukewarm to cool shower or apply damp cloths.
- Do not rub the skin: Use soft towels and loose clothing.
- No home remedy experiments: Oil, lemon juice, alcohol, or strongly scented products cause additional irritation.
- Do not open blisters: In case of blisters, severe pain, or large affected areas, have it checked by a doctor.
- Avoid the sun: Until the skin has calmed down, direct sun is off-limits.
Sunstroke or heat stress: take warning signs seriously
If you experience severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, lethargy, a feeling of fever, or unusual exhaustion after being in the sun and heat, you should be careful. This can indicate significant heat stress.
If there is confusion, impaired consciousness, a very strong feeling of illness, seizures, breathing problems, or if the condition does not improve, medical help is necessary. When in doubt, it is better to ask early, especially with children.
Observe children after a hot day
Children can push their limits for a long time while playing. In the evening, it then becomes apparent that they drank too little, played in the sun for too long, or took too few breaks.
- Offer drinks: Small sips of water or heavily diluted drinks.
- Cool the body: Cool cloths, shade, quiet room.
- Check skin: Take redness, heat, pain, or blisters seriously.
- Do not leave alone: If a child seems lethargic, confused, or unusually sleepy, get help.
What is better left for the next day
After too much sun, the next day should be quieter. This also applies even if you feel halfway decent again in the morning.
- no direct sun on reddened skin
- no intensive gardening or sports sessions
- no long walks in the midday heat
- prefer light clothing and shade
- actively plan for drinks and breaks
The beach bag for next time
- Sunscreen with sufficient protection
- Hat, sunglasses, and UV shirt
- Water bottles for everyone
- Light cloth or clothing for shade breaks
- Small snacks that handle heat better
- Mobile phone with saved emergency numbers
The most important point remains: it is best to avoid sunburn and heat stress beforehand. Shade, clothing, sunscreen, water, and breaks are less spectacular than a long day at the lake without interruption, but much more pleasant for the evening after.
Read also
- Applying sunscreen correctly
- Swimming lake with children: safely through hot outdoor pool and lake days
- Gardening in the heat
- Drinking properly in the heat
- Heat in the car: Why children, animals, and groceries must not wait
- Removing sunscreen stains
Sources and further information
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Tips for proper sun protection
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Heatstroke and sunstroke
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Heat
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Heat hotline
- AGES: Heat and climate change adaptation
- GeoSphere Austria/ZAMG: current weather warnings
Article image: AI-generated symbolic image.
