Short messages on Physical health issues from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Sunburn is a burn to living tissue, such as skin, produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun’s rays. Normal symptoms consist of red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch, general fatigue, and mild dizziness.
Good sources of vitamin A include cheese, eggs, oily fish such as mackerel, milk, fortified low-fat spreads and yoghurt. Liver is a particularly rich source of vitamin A but shouldn’t be eaten during pregnancy.
Vitamin A strengthens immunity against infections, helps vision in dim light and keeps skin and the linings of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy.
Vitamin D is naturally obtained through exposure to sunlight and from foods such as oily fish, eggs, fortified fat spreads and some fortified breakfast cereals.
If you are planning to become pregnant you should take folic acid supplements – even if you are healthy and have a good diet. Once pregnant, continue to take the supplements for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you take folic acid supplements it reduces the risk of having a baby born with a defect of their spinal cord, such as spina bifida.
Different people need different numbers of sleep hours, depending on age, physical activity levels, general health and other individual factors. Generally, primary school children and teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep each night, whereas adults need at least 8.
Going to bed late makes people tired and irritable the next morning because the brain has not had enough rest. This is true for children, teenagers and adults.
Milk contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, fats, carbohydrates and protein, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium.
When caring for someone with an eating disorder, remember the top tips: learn the facts (the more you know, the more you can help), break the silence (give them that vital opportunity to open up), early intervention is best (get them specialist help as soon as possible), take care of yourself (you need your own support) and recovery is always possible (you can help them beat their eating disorder).
If you have a friend with an eating disorder, be there for them. Try to understand what they are going through, and don’t let it dominate your relationship – underneath it they’re still your friend.