The emergence of the term ‘blurry season’ to describe the end-of-year and new-year period makes sense. For most of us, the holidays do tend to become quite blurry as we’re all in go-go-go mode, whether it be attending family events or perhaps indulging a little too much in certain foods and drinks. Here, we provide a guide as to how pharmacy assistants can help their communities, and themselves, survive through the season’s negatives.
Some of the health concerns pharmacy assistants and members of their community may face at this time of year include dehydration, lack of nutrition, sunburn and heat, and exhaustion.
Dehydration
Dehydration can be caused through heat, lack of water intake or excessive alcohol consumption, which is why people may become more susceptible to being dehydrated through the holiday period. It’s important to ensure adequate hydration levels are maintained, to avoid the more serious health consequences and burnout that dehydration could lead to.1
Products in the pharmacy. VOOST Hydrate + Electrolyte effervescent tablets, Hydralyte Electrolyte Powder.
Lack of nutrition
With such festive fare as candy canes, roasts, potato bakes and more, the season’s food temptations are abundant. Sure, everyone deserves to live a little and indulge, but it can be easy to lose one’s sense of balance when it comes to holiday food intake. So, ensuring some level of nutrition is maintained is important.
Products available in pharmacies, such as super greens and shakes that include extra protein, probiotics and collagen, can be beneficial in helping restore health levels during the holiday period.
Products in the pharmacy
The Man Shake Chocolate Super Greens, The Lady Shake Variety Pack, Sustagen Sport, JSHealth Protein + Probiotics + Collagen.
Exhaustion
Factors including unhealthy lifestyle choices, grief, stress and other illnesses can cause exhaustion and fatigue. It’s easy to become swept away in the busier periods and let health fall by the wayside. If fatigue is not treated, it can cause headaches, dizziness, sore or aching muscles, muscle weakness and many other symptoms.2<superscript>
Ways of dealing with exhaustion include:
- Cancelling activity plans so that rest days can be taken.
- Ensuring adequate intake of protein, fruit and vegetables.
- Participating in wellness activities such as meditation, reading and yoga, or low-intensity programs that help facilitate rest.
- Drinking more water.
If the fatigue is presenting as chronic, then it’s important for pharmacy assistants to encourage consultation with a GP or pharmacist.
Sunburn/heat
The Aussie holiday season can be like no other, with long days in the pool or at the beach, or playing outdoor games such as backyard cricket. Thus, we can be exposed to the UV rays that can damage our skin and cause skin cancer.
Probably the most important help a pharmacy assistant can provide customers for the silly season is advising them to stock up on sunscreens that they’ll actually use. PAs also should practise what they preach by lathering up themselves every day.
While most of us do our best to stay unburnt at this time, just in case the UV rays do creep in to foil our protection efforts, having treatment on hand, such as aloe vera gel, is a summer must.
Products in the pharmacy.
Avene Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+, Bondi Sands Daily Moisturising Face SPF 50+ Sunscreen Lotion, Cetaphil Sun Kids SPF 50+ Kids Liposomal Lotion Face + Body, Thursday Plantation Aloe Vera Gel.
References
- NHS inform (Scotland). ‘Dehydration’. scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/dehydration#:~:text=Dehydration%20is%20caused%20by%20not,of%20physical%20activity%20and%20diet.
- Better Health Channel. ‘Fatigue’. vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue#symptoms-of-fatigue
