5 tips for staying safe in the heat
With much of the Northern Hemisphere experiencing a dangerous heat wave, it seems a good time to review ways to protect ourselves during excessive heat.
Just a reminder, I am not a medical professional. I am a certified health coach interested in your wellbeing. If you need medical advice, please speak with a healthcare professional.
5 tips for staying safe in the heat
This advice comes from The National Weather Service.
- Slow down. Reduce or eliminate strenuous activity until the coolest time of day.
- Dress appropriately. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water…cool but not icy…even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid or limit alcohol and caffeine.
- Eat light. Choose easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, keep it in a cooler. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
- Use air conditioners or portable fans. If your home isn’t air conditioned, consider spending time in places that are, such as malls and libraries. Electric fans can exhaust hot air from a room or pull in cool air, but do not direct the air from a fan directly on you if the room temperature is more than 90° F, as the dry blowing air can be dehydrating.
Heat exhaustion versus heat stroke
Excessive heat poses a significant risk to people’s health, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion, which can result in death.
Heat exhaustion
Symptoms
- feeling faint or dizzy
- sweating excessively
- nausea or vomiting
- rapid or weak pulse
- muscle cramps
What to do
- Get to a cool, air-conditioned place.
- Drink water.
- Take a cool shower.
Heat stroke
Symptoms
- throbbing headache
- confusion
- no sweating
- body temperature above 103° F
- nausea or vomiting
- rapid, strong pulse
- possible loss of consciousness
What to do
- Call emergency number (911 in the USA).
- Use cool cloths or a cool bath to bring temperature down.
- Do not give anything to drink.
Elders, infants, the sick, and pets are especially vulnerable. Keep an eye on them, and remember never to leave children or pets in the car on a hot day, even for a few minutes.
Let’s enjoy the summer while protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the dangers of excessive heat.
Your turn
- What’s the weather like right now where you live?
- Do you prefer the hot weather or cold?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Source: https://www.weather.gov/media/owlie/HeatSafety-OnePager-11-29-2018.pdf
Our heatwave finally broke yesterday and it’s pretty much been raining ever since… in fact we have a flood watch in effect today. But I really don’t think we ended up getting that much rain that it will be an issue. But even as hot and muggy as it got last week with humidity near 100% (I think I saw it hit 96%) I still prefer the summer heat to the below freezing winter cold. Obviously ideally the temps would be between the two!
It seems to be one weather extreme or another, doesn’t it Joanne? We have some large wild fires burning in Utah right now, and we could sure use the rain to help put them out. At the same time, the burn scar areas are now worried about flooding. I’m with you on preferring heat to cold, but love those times when it hits a sweet spot in between.
Good tips, Christie! It’s very warm here with not much rain lately. I’m definitely a winter person because I can always add layers. Taking off too many layers in the summer could get me in trouble!! Hahaha!!
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That made me laugh, Marsha. You have a good point there, but I still have to go with summer over winter. I will say that spring and fall are my favorite temps though.
It’s chilly here on the opposite side of the world, but we’re also used to high temps and dry heat here in W. Australia. I guess it’s like people who are used to snow and freezing temps – they cope better than we would if the weather changed drastically.
Stay cool and safe. x
I’m curious, living in a hot climate, what you consider chilly, Leanne. We used to live in an area that experienced a lot of cold and snow, but we are now in the southern part of the state where it’s not abnormal to reach 100+ F (38 C) in the summer. In the winter, the low occasionally dips below 0 C but we rarely get snow or a hard freeze. I have noticed that I have acclimated to the warm desert weather and find the cold harder to take when we visit up north now.
These are good tips. I found it interesting that you should drink cool water for heat exhaustion but no drinks for heat stroke. It could be tricky if you weren’t sure which one you, or someone else was experiencing. We certainly are having high temperatures in Utah. I used to love extreme heat when I was younger, now I prefer milder temps. A nice 70 to 80 is perfect for me!
It is interesting, Cindy. Here’s what Google has to say on the topic: “Because heat stroke impairs brain function, swallowing reflexes are compromised. Giving them fluids causes a high risk of aspiration, meaning they may inhale the liquid into their lungs, which is a life-threatening medical emergency.” I agree with your ideal temps…70 for daily activities, 80 for swimming!
I hate the heat, I don’t like summer and I’m not a sunshine person.
We had a bit of a breather last week, but temperatures are going up again here in Germany. I can’t wait for fall to arrive!
I feel so sorry for people who can’t easily follow the advice given because they can’t stay at home, don’t work in air-conditioned buildings or even have to work outside, can’t adapt their clothing because they have to wear a uniform, etc.
Hello Cat! Welcome to the So what? Now what? blog. I’m guessing when it comes to weather preferences, you are in the minority…not being a sunshine person. That said, I do love a good thunderstorm or even just interesting cloud cover. And of course you are right, having an outside job or no access to air conditioning would be miserable…and even dangerous at times. I am truly blessed to have the options I have. Take care of yourself and stay cool! Autumn will be here before you know it.
Thank you, Christie!
Actually, I’m not so sure it’s as big of a minority as people think. I didn’t use to tell people anymore because of the reactions I got (like people telling me that of course I liked the sun, so weird). After I didn’t care about that anymore and just said it, I found a lot of people felt the same and were glad to meet a fellow vampire. I’d take one of those thunderstorms now, please! 😀
You make a good point, Cat. I suppose that the people who choose to live in a desert climate, like mine, are drawn there because they enjoy the sunshine. There are just as many people drawn to rainy climates. That’s a good reminder that one’s perspective is not the full picture.
Serendipity? I was working in the yard (at the house under construction) today and felt “off”. A neighbor had not 20 minutes earlier said “Come into the AC if you need to”… and I (luckily) listened to my intuition and did. Now I know – I had 4 of the 5 symptoms of heat exhaustion! Well it was 94 degrees (feels like 110) and I probably had no business pulling weeds at that moment! I’ll be more aware going forward.
I’m glad you listened to your intuition, Pat, and that your neighbor had planted that seed. It’s so easy to get caught up in a task and ignore what our body is trying to tell us.