Top tips for summer survival

Summer’s finally here! Long, sunny days and warm, still nights filled with fun, food and friends make for great memories, but it’s important to keep your health in mind too.

To help you make the most of the season we thought we’d share our top tips:

· Hay fever is an extremely common allergic reaction that can really put a dampener on your days out. Get ahead of your itchy eyes and runny nose by taking over the counter antihistamines. We recommend taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes as soon as you get home too. This removes pollen from your body, alleviating those pesky symptoms. Find out more by popping into our pharmacies for free allergy advice.

· Pollen isn’t the only thing nature had to throw at us. Although it’s a welcome change here in Britain, the sun can be a bit much. Make sure you stay protected by wearing (and regularly topping up) a high quality sun cream. Many come in handy bottles and are great for on the go – you never know when the sun might appear! Pick some up in your local pharmacy.

· Whether the sun is out or not, staying hydrated is also key. Make sure you and those around you always have a bottle of water to hand ready for those extra summery activities like walking, playing sports or even sunbathing. Our food stores are filled with tasty drinks to keep you cool, why not pop down to your local branch and check out our summer range?

· Insects are summer’s best friend, but not ours. Being bitten by gnats, mosquitoes and other insects can lead to small, itchy lumps developing. Minor bites such as these usually clear up quickly on their own, but we recommend using a cold compress to the area to reduce swelling. It will also cool you down a bit too, win-win!

· Speaking of cooling down, our final tip for surviving summer is all about sleep. If there’s one thing everyone needs during the warmer months, it’s a fan to keep you cool and help you fall asleep easier on muggy nights. You could also swap your usual curtains for blackout blinds to stop the sun creeping in at 5am. If you find sleeping difficult no matter what the weather is doing, head down to one of our pharmacies for a free health check. Getting a great night’s sleep is key to a great day, after all!