Staying Healthy Abroad by Learning to Cope With Heat

A thousand studies can be done into the thousands of reasons that we all have for wanting to move abroad, but no matter what fascinating facts these surveys may bring, we at Shelter Offshore know that there is one driving desire behind the universally discussed idea of escaping the UK – and that’s the weather!  We may each have different gripes and groans about the UK, we may each have different compelling reasons to drive us overseas, but the one universal desire that we all share is to move abroad to a better climate.

Living in the sun, whether that be in Spain or Cyprus, Costa Rica or Cuba, is indeed very good for mind, body and soul…but staying healthy abroad by learning to cope with heat is the very first thing that us expats, who do indeed make it to sunnier climes, have to learn.  In this report we’ll share with you what we’ve learned from personal experience and from speaking to other expats and a health advisor as well.

Going on holiday to a hot resort for a couple of weeks is very, very different to moving abroad and setting up home and establishing a new life.  For a start, expats cannot sit around the pool enjoying cool and refreshing drinks all morning before retiring to their air-conditioned hotel room for an afternoon’s siesta every single day that they’re living overseas.  Rather, expats usually arrive overseas and find they have to hit the ground running and juggle many tasks just to ensure theirs and their family’s smooth transition abroad.  But literally running around all day will very quickly result in heat exhaustion and sickness…so the very first lesson to take on board is learning to pace yourself.

You’ll often see the local people and well established expats seemingly taking life at a much steadier pace than you’re perhaps used to.  People who do walk around in the heat of the sunshine will walk considerably slower and you will have to learn to do the same.  For many people this enforced slow pace feels so unnatural – but it is totally essential to ensure that the body is not overexerted or overheated.

The next thing to learn is that anyone wanting to achieve a tan should not try to do so in a few days by exposing as much flesh as possible to as much sun as possible as quickly as possible!  When you’re living in the sun you will find it hard to avoid having at least a brown face, hands, forearms and feet – but you needn’t set out and about every day from day one with barely anything on!  Respect the sun, it is incredibly powerful – and think about the health of your skin long-term as well.  Use a good sun protector on your face every day and on your body at least until it’s used to the sun and you have established a base tan.  If you want to avoid the aging effects of the sun as much as possible, wear a wide brimmed hat, large sunglasses, wear sun block on your face and loose fitting long sleeve tops with trousers or long skirts.  If you stick to light linen and cotton your skin will be able to breathe.

Remember that in many hot countries the government and official offices that you need to visit as a newly arrived expat trying to get your house and life in order, open at seemingly irregular hours.  Offices usually open very early in the morning in countries such as Spain and Cyprus, they then shut for an extra long lunch break before resuming business in the late afternoon and early evening.  This is because it allows workers to avoid having to work hard during the intense heat of the midday sunshine.  Learn from this!  If you get up earlier when it’s cooler you can get an awful lot achieved before it gets too hot to think straight.  You can then take a rest in the early afternoon when the heat is at its most intense and the danger to your health from the sun and warmth of the day is highest.  In other words, watch and observe how local people organise their day and adapt your lifestyle accordingly.

Next up – water!  You need to constantly rehydrate yourself because you will be losing valuable water as you sweat and acclimatise.  If you also drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks this will further dehydrate you, and dehydration can lead to no end of problems from headaches to urinary tract problems, from collapse and even eventual death.  So, everywhere you go carry water.  Have it in your car, have plenty in your fridge at home so you can just grab a bottle as you head out, have a small bottle in your handbag, and when offered a drink or when you eat or drink out, always ensure you match any other drink you have with a glass of water.  One of the very first signs someone recognises that they may be dehydrated is that they won’t have been to the toilet all day – sorry to be gross – but this is usually the first time that they realise they haven’t drunk enough.  Get into the habit of keeping your fluids topped up throughout the day – and if you leave the house on foot or in the car, never do so without a bottle of water.

Finally we need to talk more about acclimatising to the heat, because you will slowly but surely find it easier to cope with and you will also adapt your lifestyle to suit your new nation and its fabulous climate.  One discussion that expats often have is the whole air-conditioning one!  Is it better to try and cope without it, is it possible to live without it, when should you use it, how should you use it and what about a fan or an open window instead?!  What we would say is that everyone’s tolerance of the heat is different and therefore everyone’s way of dealing with it different also, but here are some tips…

Air-conditioning is great!  However, living constantly in an air-conditioned environment is not so great!  Air-con can dry the skin and throat, if it’s blowing right on you it can cause neuralgia like symptoms and stiff joints…but if used correctly and wisely it can make the difference between insomnia and a really good night’s sleep!  If at all possible it’s best to try and make do by day with fans and open doors and windows, (with mozzie nets if bugs, snakes or just dust are an issue for example), and then use air-con in the following way.  In your bedroom about ½ an hour to an hour before you go to bed switch the air-con on to take the heat and humidity out of the room, then when you finally hit the sack the room will be lovely and fresh, the sheets will be cool and you’ll probably find it’s sufficient to switch the air-con off and just leave a fan running to mix the air up as you sleep.

Some modern units have a sleep mode that allows you to leave the air-con on while you go to bed and after an hour or so it switches itself off.  Other options include cooling the room and then bringing the temperature of the air-con up to the low twenties to just stop you from overheating in the night, but also to stop you from getting cold or stiff joints as you sleep.

In conclusion, staying healthy abroad and learning to cope with the heat is essential for those of us who come from a fairly poor climate!  Remember to respect the sun, care for your skin, keep hydrated and observe the locals – learn how they cope with the heat and you’ll quickly adapt and love living abroad.