When temperatures rise to extreme levels, classic advice like "drink water" and "stay out of the sun" isn't always enough. Especially when the house has turned into an oven, when you have to work, sleep, or be outside for hours.
Here are some more practical ways to help the body cope with high temperatures.
1. Don't try to cool just your face.
When the body overheats, the most effective way to lower the temperature is not simply to wet the face. Cooling the areas where the blood vessels are closest to the skin's surface may be more effective.
Place a cold towel or cold compress on your neck, armpits, and inner thighs. These areas can help cool the blood circulating in your body more quickly.
But don't put ice directly on the skin for a long time.
2. If you use a fan, use it properly.
A fan doesn't necessarily lower the temperature in a room. It moves air and helps the body dissipate heat, but when temperatures are very high, the effect may be limited.
To use it more wisely, place a bottle of frozen water or a container of ice in front of the fan. The air passing near the cold surface can feel cooler.
However, do not rely solely on the fan in extreme temperatures, especially if you feel weak, confused, or very hot.
3. Cool the house at the right times
One of the most common mistakes is keeping the windows open all day.
If it's hotter outside than inside, the hot air that comes in can make your home even hotter. Keep windows and curtains closed during the hottest hours of the day, especially if the sun is shining directly on them.
Open windows when the temperature outside drops, usually in the evening or early morning, to remove hot air and bring in cooler air.
4. Don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink water.
Thirst isn't always the first sign of dehydration. In hot temperatures, especially if you sweat a lot, you can lose water and mineral salts before you realize it.
If you've been sweating a lot for a long time, water alone may not always be enough to replace lost electrolytes. In these cases, fluids containing electrolytes can help.
Don't overdo it with alcohol and caffeinated drinks, as they can worsen dehydration.
5. Don't perform physical activity as if it were a normal day
In a heat wave, the body expends more energy just to maintain normal temperature. So an activity that usually seems easy can become much more tiring.
If you must exercise outside, do it during the cooler hours of the day and don't try to maintain the same pace as in normal temperatures.
Take more frequent breaks and don't wait until you feel bad to stop.
If the activity lasts more than an hour and sweating is heavy, fluids containing electrolytes may also be needed.
6. Recognize when it's no longer just "hot"
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can get worse quickly.
Heat exhaustion can manifest with profuse sweating, cold, clammy skin, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, and muscle cramps.
Heat stroke is much more serious. Signs include a very high body temperature, hot skin, confusion, headache, dizziness, nausea, and loss of consciousness.
If someone is exhibiting severe symptoms or appears confused, they should be removed from the heat immediately and emergency help should be sought.
During a heat wave, the goal isn't just to feel more comfortable. It's to prevent your body from reaching the point where it can no longer regulate its temperature on its own.
-
-
-
It turns out that most of us have been applying moisturizer wrong.
July 17, 1:46 PM -
-
This is the best way to get rid of ants inside the house
July 16, 2:54 PM -
It's not just food: This unexpected habit can make you gain weight
July 16, 1:14 PM
