Comment: Summer fun and safety too...

Friday 28 June 2019

With the sun shining and Glastonbury underway, our columnist has his sights set on staying safe while having lots of fun.

Dr Piers Mitchell works at Queens Road Medical Practice. He specialises in diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat (ENT), minor surgery and travel medicine:

Festival Fun

With Glastonbury Festival happening this weekend, many local music lovers have flocked to the famous Worthy Farm to watch some of the world’s top performers. 

Festivals are great for socialising, strengthening friendships and meeting new people so this communal experience can have a hugely positive impact on your wellbeing. Being outdoors, dancing and listening to the music are ideal for stress relief, but to ensure a positive experience it’s worth planning to avoid some common health pitfalls.

The Basics

Although hair washing and a make-up routine might go out of the window at a festival, a level of hygiene is important. Basic washing will prevent fungal itches in embarrassing places; keeping your hands clean (anti-bacterial gel is a festival essential) and cleaning any cuts or grazes sustained (from sliding around in mud) will reduce the risk of infections.

Protection

All the usual advice applies for sun protection - apply sun cream regularly and carry a small bottle of it for topping up. Wear a hat and sunglasses and sit in the shade whenever you can, especially around the midday sun. It might sound obvious, but it’s so easy to forget when you’re having a good time. 

Festivals are synonymous with loud music but prolonged exposure can damage your hearing.  If you’re taking small children along make sure they wear ear defenders. This is also recommended if you are an adult planning to stick your head inside a speaker. 

It’s worth knowing that strobe lighting at music festivals can increase the risk of epileptic seizures in susceptible people. If someone does start having a seizure (or other serious health problems) most big festivals will have doctors and ambulances on site.  

Food and drink

To avoid dehydration, you need to be drinking regularly. This means water! Many of the festivals will have taps where you can fill up a reusable bottle. 

Gastroenteritis is always a risk at mass gatherings so make sure you bring Imodium and rehydration salts in case you’re unlucky.  

Sex, drugs and rock & roll

Festivals have long been associated with excess. The advice around alcohol is the same as always – know your limits and drink responsibly. There will always be festivalgoers who try illegal drugs and it’s essential they are very wise to the risks. Street drugs are often now cut with fentanyl, with a much higher risk of death from accidental overdose. For this reason, many festivals offer a drug testing service. 

Being in the moment can result in actions that make the world go round. Take condoms with you if you’re ‘up all night to get lucky’ this summer in order to avoid bringing home an unexpected souvenir. 

So, if you’re attending a festival this summer, have a fantastic but safe time. If you are a parent of a teenager going to their first festival, slow breathing techniques are really helpful…