How to stay cool in this summer's sweltering heat
Jul 23, 2016, 20:55 IST
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- Always try to reduce your exposure to the heat: stay out of the sun, particularly between 11 am and 4 pm when the sun is strongest. If you do need to spend time outside, be sure to wear sunscreen, drink water, and take rest breaks.
- Keep drinking water (it's better if the water isn't ice cold), even if you aren't thirsty.
- Never ever leave children or pets in a parked car - without the air conditioning on, the temperature can become unsafe within just a couple of minutes.
- Even if your house doesn't have air conditioning, you may be able to find some for part of the day. Your city may have designated cooling centers open to the public during heat emergencies. You can also scope out malls, movie theaters, museums, and libraries.
- Keep air circulating by using fans to send hot air out or bring cool air in (especially at night). But make sure hot, dry air isn't being blown directly at you, since that can make you dehydrated.
- Wear cool, loose, light-colored clothing.
- Check in on neighbors to make sure they're ok, especially if they don't have air conditioning or are elderly.
- Use a cool bath, shower, or outdoor sprinkler to lower your body temperature. You can also use an icepack wrapped in cloth or a wrung-out and frozen washcloth to cool off. But be careful you don't move very quickly from being too hot to too cold - temperature shocks can make you feel worse.
- It's tempting to binge on ice cream all day long. One healthier alternative is blending frozen banana into a chilly snack instead.
- Be on the lookout for muscle cramps, since they're a key symptom showing you've had too much heat. Other signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, pale and clammy skin, a fast heartbeat, nausea, and fainting. Any of these signs mean you need to cool off right away. Heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke, which is a 911-level health concern.
Stay safe and hang in there!