When summer comes to mind, we almost always focus on picnics, days lounging on the beach, and tasty iced drinks. But hot weather has a gnarly side too. We’re talking about the real dog days of summer, when intense heat and humidity make it impossible to sit comfortably, let alone sleep through the night. During this weather, you can put yourself at risk of heat illness if you don’t take the proper precautions. Whether you’re inside or outside, you should be aware of the heat and humidity and how your body is reacting to it. If you take the proper steps to prevent heat illness, you’ll have no problem staying cool in the summer:
- Plan time inside. Air conditioning is not an amenity that every household has. If you don’t have air conditioning, plan a few hours to go somewhere that has it. Try to do so in the middle of the afternoon (the hottest part of the day).
- Have late lunch with friends in a restaurant.
- Study at the library.
- Walk through the mall.
- Go to a museum.
- See a movie.
- Choose cotton. Lightweight clothes are the best choice when you’re trying to keep cool. Wear linen, cotton, or other breathable fabrics.
- Drink water every 15 minutes.
- Avoid caffeine. Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soda are detrimental to your hydration. They pull water from your body. You don’t have to cut it out of your diet completely but limit yourself to one or two a day.
- Rest during the day. The heat will exhaust you more quickly than cooler temperatures. Take time to rest during the day in a shaded spot to keep your body temperature down.
- Sleep like an Egyptian. Those Nile-dwellers knew how to do it right. The so-called “Egyptian method” involves dampening a sheet or towel in cool water and using it as a blanket. Just lay the damp sheets on top of a dry towel to avoid soaking the mattress and you won’t be needing your air conditioner anymore.
- Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face after being outdoors.
- Take frequent baths or showers with cool or tepid water.
- Drink sports drinks. Sports drinks were designed to hydrate you properly. They contain electrolytes (a mixture of carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium). These help replace the minerals that you lose when you sweat and help keep you hydrated.
- Avoid hot meals. Eat smaller meals with lighter fare.
- Freeze water bottles overnight to have them cool while you’re out the next day.
- Turn off the lights.
- This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Light bulbs (even environmentally-friendly CFLs) give off heat. Fortunately, summer means it stays light until eight or nine at night. Take advantage of natural light as much as possible, and keep rooms cool after dark by using lights minimally or not at all
- Use dark curtains during day time to shut out both heat and light from your home.
Sail safe through summers and if you observe dizziness, blackouts, severe head-aches and vomiting, consult your doctor in order to negate the factor of summer stroke.