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HEALTH

Remember water and salt during Danish heatwave, doctors advise

With unusually high temperatures forecast for the rest of July in Denmark, remembering to stay hydrated is vital, a medic in the country says.

Remember water and salt during Danish heatwave, doctors advise
File photo: Liselotte Sabroe / Ritzau Scanpix

A heatwave this week and high temperatures in general for the rest of this month have prompted doctors to follow the example of lifeguards by issuing advice to people in Denmark who may not be used to the heat.

“There are two challenges when it is as hot as it is now: we lose water and salt when we sweat,” doctor Jerk W. Langer told Ritzau.

“That is solved first and foremost by drinking lots of water. There should be a little bit of salt in the water, or it can be supplemented with something like juice, which also contains salt,” Langer continued.

“A third option – and I don’t say this as a doctor – is to eat chips, pretzels or fries, which contain loads of salt,” he added.

A large jug of water should be kept out and topped up as a reminder to keep drinking during the heat, the doctor advised.

Older people should take particular care, as they are less likely to feel thirst, and parents should keep a close eye on infants.

People who take diuretic medicines, also known as water tablets, should also take particular care.

National meteorologist DMI forecasts temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius during Wednesday, while mercury could rise as high as 33°C on thermometers in southern and western parts of Jutland on Thursday.

Western coastal areas of Zealand and Jutland are likely to see temperatures top 30°C, while other areas will also be hot, with heat expected to be in the high 20s, DMI’s Klaus Larsen told Ritzau.

The hot weather is expected to continue throughout the coming weekend.

READ ALSO: Danish lifeguards issue new warnings with heatwave on way

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HEALTH

New Year’s Eve injury rate bounces back to normal in Denmark

The number of people treated for fireworks-related injuries on New Year's Eve in Denmark has bounced back to normal levels, with 16 people treated for eye injuries after the celebrations.

New Year's Eve injury rate bounces back to normal in Denmark
Fireworks led to 16 eye injuries on New Year's Eve. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

This is up from the unusually low 12 people who were treated for eye injuries during and after the celebrations last year. Two of this year’s injuries are sufficiently severe that the injured are expected to lose their sight completely or partially.

“After a very quiet evening last year, it is back to a normal, average level,” Ulrik Correll Christensen, head doctor at the ophthalmology department at Rigshospitalet, told the country’s Ritzau newswire. “It is a completely extraordinary situation at the eye departments on New Year’s Eve. It is not at all something we see on a daily basis.” 

Christensen has tallied up reports from all of Denmark’s eye units, including the major ones in Copenhagen, Aalborg, Aarhus, Odense and Næstved. 

He said that 15 out of the 16 cases had not worn safety goggles, two thirds were between ten and thirty years old. 

“The most important thing is to follow the advice when firing fireworks. Wear safety goggles and keep a good distance,” he said. 

The number of ambulance call outs on New Year’s Eve is also back to normal, with 1,188 emergency vehicles sent out, compared to 875 last year. 

In the Capital Region of Copenhagen, there were 44 call-outs were related to fireworks, of which 16 were for hand injuries and 14 for eye injuries. 

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