Hot Tips for Staying Cool
Canadians aren’t strangers to really hot temperatures, but it's nearly impossible to predict the weather - though some try to forecast it! Regardless of whether or not you can divine the climes, here are some tips to help stay cool when the mercury rises.
Stay hydrated:
Your body regulates temperature by sweating. Think of sweating as
your body’s air conditioning mechanism: water is the raw material,
so you need to drink plenty of it. Some recommendations can range
between two to four glasses of water every hour in really hot
weather, but the key is not waiting until you’re thirsty to drink.
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing:
Probably one of the best tips yet — wear a hat. Hats protect you
from direct sun, and sunburns directly affect your body’s ability to
cool down. Exposure like this can also lead to dehydration.
Another great tip for really hot temperatures is to apply cold, wet towels on the neck, wrist, groin and armpit areas. This little trick can help bring down your core body temperature quite rapidly.
Stay indoors — particularly during peak heat:
When you can, try to stay indoors during the sun’s peak hours —
generally 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you can’t avoid being outside, try to
avoid direct sunlight as much as possible.
Learn to spot heat stroke and heat exhaustion early:
The Center for Disease Control lists some early symptoms as
dizziness, an increased pulse, nausea, headache and on the
extreme end of the spectrum, fainting. But symptoms can vary and
are very much specific to the individual’s overall health, age, and
level of activity.
If you suspect someone is displaying symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion, some immediate remedies include moving the person to a cooler place and applying wet, cool cloths. Call 911 if there is heat stroke, vomiting or if the symptoms get worse.
DON’T LEAVE children or pets in vehicles:
It literally takes just a few minutes for the interior of a car to start to
swelter. The sun’s radiation heats the interior of cars up rapidly.
According to a study by GM and San Francisco State University it
only takes about two minutes and car’s interior can go from a safe
temperature to an unsafe 94.3 degrees.
We wish you and your family an amazing
summer, and a safe one! If you find yourself
improvising ways to escape the heat of summer,
we hope that these tips will come in handy!
