Wiltshire health experts urge us to stay cool amid UK heatwave

Health experts in Salisbury are warning us to be aware of the signs we or someone else may be suffering from heat exhaustion.

A yellow heat warning is in place for the county and temperatures are set to rise to 30 degrees later this week.

Alison Kidner from Sarum Pharmacy told Greatest Hits Radio that we need to be extra vigilant in looking after ourselves and vulnerable people - especially over 65s, those under 5 and people with underlying health conditions.

"The first thing I must say is we've got to protect ourselves from the heat, so avoid being outside between 11:00 and 3:00 when the sun is at its strongest," she said.

Ms Kidner added: "Make sure that you go out wearing suitable clothing. It's probably better to wear some long sleeves, but something cool that's going to protect your arms and your legs. Wear a hat, wear sunglasses, and wear a sunscreen."

She also strongly advises avoiding alcohol and drinking lots of cool fluid during the day, which will ensure we are fully hydrated, allowing the body to function and sweat as required.

There's also advice on keeping our homes cool, by using fans to circulate air, as well as closing windows and drawing curtains to stop hot air from outside coming into our houses.

Keep cool and carry on

Heat exhaustion isn't considered a medical emergency if we can cool down in half an hour - but if that doesn't happen, we are at risk of heat stroke, which can be life threatening.

"If somebody's got heat exhaustion, they'll feel tired and weak, feel faint, they might have a headache and muscle cramps, they'll be sweating heavily and feel thirsty and possibly feeling sick," Ms Kidner told us.

To help treat someone with heat exhaustion, she said: "Get them to a cool place as soon as possible. Give them a nice, cool drink and use flannels and things with cooling compresses on the back of their neck on their forehead to help to bring their temperature down."

She also advises removing excess clothing.

If the person doesn't begin to cool down and could have heat stroke, we are urged to dial 999 and get immediate help.

"Somebody with heat stroke is going to feel confused. They're going to lack coordination. The heart rate and their breathing will be fast and their skin will be hot but not sweating. And at the extreme, they can have seizures," Ms Kidner said.

Hay fever hell

The rise in temperatures is also bringing high levels of pollen - with many hay fever sufferers feeling the full force of their symptoms.

Most will take antihistamines to control hay fever, but Ms Kidner warns strongly against taking multiple one-a-day tablets, as it does very little to reduce symptoms and increases our risk of the side effects to taking them.

"If you want some advice on or what's the best antihistamine for your hay fever, chat to your local pharmacist," she said.

Nasal sprays and eye drops are available over the counter, while there are other things we can do to prevent our symptoms escalating.

"Wear wrap around sunglasses to prevent pollens getting into your eyes and you can smear Vaseline around your nose to stop pollens getting into your nose."

And while hay fever is simply an annoyance for many of us, for others it can lead to health conditions being exacerbated.

Ms Kidner told us it can lead to asthma issues for those prone to it and ear infections in children.

We're urged to visit pharmacies for minor ailments or to visit the NHS website for advice.