meljor

I have become vitamin D deficient since I came here too, something to do with the angle at which the sun hits the earth here and my northern hemisphere complexion, according to my GP.

Also, I should point out that you should wear your UVA/B protective sunnies whenever it's not cloudy unless you want cataracts.

Tableland

You get vitamin D from the sun, so if you have been covering yourself in sun-block all year round it is hardly surprising you have a deficiency. You might try and fix this deficiency with dietary supplements. Look at what people who live in limited sunlight eat, such as Scandinavia - oily fish like salmon, etc. This might help. You can also get shots if you are that bad.

In terms of sunglasses, you should wear good quality UVA/B glasses whenever the UV is high, yes. I wouldn't get paranoid about it though. Look at it this way - in the UK you would have had UV levels of 5,6 or even 7 for two or three months in the summer, and you didn't worry about wearing sunglasses every day. So why would you worry about wearing sunglasses every day in Australia when UV levels are only higher than this for 4 or 5 months a year?

Also, remember this is about exposure. Do you work outside? If so you must be more careful. If you work inside then quite frankly the UV is low when you walk to work and medium when you walk home, so the need for all this protection is reduced again.

meljor

Thanks for your concern, but I have it covered I am taking the vit D supplement and eating more fish.

As for the UVA/B thing believe what you want, I know I get burnt pegging washing out without sunscreen, when it's clear and sunny. As my GP said I am not meant for this climate, another reason to go back to where I belong. Vitamin D deficiency also causes depression which is why being outside helps but there we have a catch 22 situation. So much for the outdoor lifestyle. Some people belong here and others don't.

Tableland

Do you have any skin conditions at all? I mean, stuff before you went, that would lead to this reaction?

meljor

No, I'm just a pale blue colour with red hair, get burnt easily. I have bad reactions to the insect life here also, last year had infected mozzie bites the year before had a nasty spider bite, hubby can sit out of an evening no probs me I'm a magnet for the b'tards. Like I say some of us don't belong.

Nu-Shooz

I know the feeling. When i get bit by mozzies i suffer for weeks after. Really painful, big red spots that itch to death and swollen.
Living in the sun comes with a price.

3 go mad in Adelaide

In winter, the rain came (and came, and came!). Then Spring arrived and so did the ants and the mozzies (urgh!), in the evenings the millipedes come out. Now it's getting warmer towards summer the flies are out. When summer actually arrives there will be the heat to contend with. Then summer will finish and the rain will come (and come, and come!)

Or am I just a winging pom?!

meljor

Nope!

Was in one of my local shops and was chatting to the lady behind the counter, usual stuff, how long have I been here, have any of my family been, when I said that none of my sisters had been she said "if they did they wouldn't want to go back" I was astounded, I asked her what she thought Australia had that you couldn't get anywhere else she came out with the usual blurb about blue sky, warm climate to which I replied yes but that comes with a price, such as the insect life, flipping heck it annoys me.

meljor

Been bitten again tonight 3 bites, I only went out to bring the washing in off the line!

Tableland

Some people are unlucky like this though. I read somewhere that these creatures hate bananas, so if you eat loads of them they stay away. Something about the oil in the bananas creating a perfume on you they can't stand. Could be rubbish though. Also marigolds, apparently. They stay away from heavy concentrations of marigolds.

So if you're one of those people that they like biting, then the answer is, well, eat 15 bananas a day and plant 200 marigolds in your back yard.

meljor

Cheer for that

rabsody

yeah this attitude really started getting on my t*ts after about 2 years here. usually said by someone who's never been outside their own state of course!

meljor

Got to the point where I daren't take my knitting needles outside the house incase I flip and do someone an injury. The voice inside my head that says "I hate it here, need to get out" is getting louder and more persistent. Aussies beware! Especially when they say well if you don't like it go home, like it's that easy to come up with that amount of money:curse:.

Eastend Girl

Or even out of their own suburb!!

3 go mad in Adelaide

BTW, forgot to add the mad magpies in Spring!