MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS – THE SUN’S EFFECTS ON HUMANS
Animals seem to know about the sun’s effects instinctively, because you will never see a sick animal lying in the sun. They carefully avoid sunlight and rest in the shade. We, too, should know and understand that we cannot expose ourselves to the sun if we are not well; in fact, doing so could lead to death. When a friend or acquaintance dies suddenly we invariably wonder about the actual cause of death. Recently a lady with whom I was acquainted had a stroke and died. Now I know that she had suffered from high blood pressure, yet just prior to her stroke she had been working outside in the blazing sun without a head covering; this, of course, would have raised her temperature considerably. The same kind of thing is repeated in hundreds of cases every year.
Patients who suffer from, or once had, tuberculosis should also avoid sunbathing. It should always be remembered that sunlight may even have a stronger effect in the winter when it is reflected from the snow. Intense sunlight may cause a focal reaction; increased circulation or hyperaemia can trigger bleeding and have serious consequences, even causing death. Inflamed parts of the body, infections and latent infections in the lymphatic system should never be exposed to strong sunlight because they could be caused to erupt or become acute, leading to serious reactions that place the patient’s life in danger.
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