Tips for Staying Cool This Summer

With July in full swing, it is hotter than ever outside. Although warm weather is typically seen as an exciting event, it is crucial to remember how the heat can impact your body. Here are a few tips to help you stay cool this summer:

1. Stay hydrated. Sweating is the body’s mechanism for self-cooling, but you need to drink plenty of water to give it something to work with. Recommendations vary between two to four glasses of water every hour in excessive heat. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink.

2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Eat less salty food and protein, which produce metabolic heat that causes water loss. Eat more fruits and vegetables and smaller, frequent meals. Alcohol consumption can also increase the effect of heat.

3. Seek out indoor activities, particularly during the hottest part of the day. The sun’s peak hours are generally 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

4. Don’t leave children or pets in a car, which can swelter in the sun. The sun’s radiation heats objects that it strikes, such as a dark dashboard or seat, warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

5. Learn the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. The C.D.C. lists some of them as dizziness, a rapid pulse, nausea, headache and fainting. But symptoms can vary. Those suffering from heat stroke, which is potentially fatal, might have a rapid but strong pulse, while those with heat exhaustion might have a rapid but weak one. Immediate remedies include moving the person to a cooler place and applying wet, cool cloths.

Source: The New York Times