Stay healthy this festival season It's that time of year when hundreds of thousands of people will be seeking out their wellies and tents and be heading off to one of the many festivals across the country. I ran the on site pharmacy at Glastonbury and Reading Festivals for Festival Medical Services from 2009 to 2013 and would like to share some top tips for having a safe and healthy festival 1. Love your feet! The single biggest selling item is always blister plasters as so many people where the wrong shoes over rough terrain or wear wellies without long socks over the top. If you get a blister, get hold of some blister plasters quickly to prevent the blister bursting and becoming infected. 2. Stay in control. Whilst it might be tempting to enjoy the excesses of life whilst in a relaxed atmosphere, this increases the risk of you coming back with more than you bargained for from a tattoo to an STD or worse. 3. Take condoms. Please practice safe sex as most festivals will have no NHS provision for the morning after pill and buying it will set you back the best part of £30. 4. Take sunglasses. Most festival sites are on farmland and when it gets hot and dry, the dust in the air is not the cleanest and there is an increased chance of eye infections. Likewise, cuts and grazes can easily become infected so take plenty of antiseptic wipes. 5. Take your prescribed medicines with you. Festivals will have excellent medical cover but they are generally private services meaning you will have to pay for your medicines based on the cost price of the drugs. Items like inhalers and insulin are often very expensive so plan ahead. Ask if the onsite medical service can store insulin in their fridge during the festival so you have a spare that is not being cooked in your tent. If you do forget them, get some replacements from the on site team rather than risk going without. They will advise you what's nice to have and what's need to have. 6. Use sun cream and hats. The shaded areas on hot days are usually packed so cover up. Don't get drunk and fall asleep in the sun. If the sunburn blisters, this again will increase your chance of infection. 7. Take care if it's wet. It is easy to slip on muddy ground and fall on an outstretched hand increasing the risk of breaking a bone. 8. Keep your hands clean. Don't spend more time on the toilet than you have to by eating with dirty hands and risk getting diarrhoea or vomiting. 9. Take ear plugs. Not to drown out the music as that's why your there but to drown out the person snoring in the next tent. The better your sleep, the less chance you have of falling asleep in the sun! 10. Above all be informed. Enjoy the festival but be aware it doesn't always go well for those who are unprepared. Know where your mates are and keep your phone well charged. Act quickly when things go wrong. It might not be convenient to get a cut or blister attended to but it won't always get better by itself and the longer you leave it, the harder (and more expensive) it might be to treat. It's that time of year when hundreds of thousands of people will be seeking out their wellies and tents and be heading off to one of the many festivals across the country. I ran the on site pharmacy at Glastonbury and Reading Festivals for Festival Medical Services from 2009 to 2013 and would like to share some top tips for having a safe and healthy festival. 1. Love your feet! The single biggest selling item is always blister plasters as so many people where the wrong shoes over rough terrain or wear wellies without long socks over the top. If you get a blister, get hold of some blister plasters quickly to prevent the blister bursting and becoming infected.2. Stay in control. Whilst it might be tempting to enjoy the excesses of life whilst in a relaxed atmosphere, this increases the risk of you coming back with more than you bargained for from a tattoo to an STD or worse.3. Take condoms. Please practice safe sex as most festivals will have no NHS provision for the morning after pill and buying it will set you back the best part of £30.4. Take sunglasses. Most festival sites are on farmland and when it gets hot and dry, the dust in the air is not the cleanest and there is an increased chance of eye infections. Likewise, cuts and grazes can easily become infected so take plenty of antiseptic wipes.5. Take your prescribed medicines with you. Festivals will have excellent medical cover but they are generally private services meaning you will have to pay for your medicines based on the cost price of the drugs. Items like inhalers and insulin are often very expensive so plan ahead. Ask if the onsite medical service can store insulin in their fridge during the festival so you have a spare that is not being cooked in your tent. If you do forget them, get some replacements from the on site team rather than risk going without. They will advise you what's nice to have and what's need to have.6. Use sun cream and hats. The shaded areas on hot days are usually packed so cover up. Don't get drunk and fall asleep in the sun. If the sunburn blisters, this again will increase your chance of infection.7. Take care if it's wet. It is easy to slip on muddy ground and fall on an outstretched hand increasing the risk of breaking a bone.8. Keep your hands clean. Don't spend more time on the toilet than you have to by eating with dirty hands and risk getting diarrhoea or vomiting.9. Take ear plugs. Not to drown out the music as that's why your there but to drown out the person snoring in the next tent. The better your sleep, the less chance you have of falling asleep in the sun!10. Above all be informed. Enjoy the festival but be aware it doesn't always go well for those who are unprepared. Know where your mates are and keep your phone well charged. Act quickly when things go wrong. It might not be convenient to get a cut or blister attended to but it won't always get better by itself and the longer you leave it, the harder (and more expensive) it might be to treat.