Isn’t it alarming that every person you meet is complaining about the current extreme heat? While most of us welcome hot weather, when it’s too hot, there are health risks.
During extreme heat, it is easy to become dehydrated or for your body to overheat.
Heat can cause serious and potentially fatal health problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, trigger sudden events like a heart attack or stroke, or worsen existing medical conditions like kidney or lung disease.
Extreme heat can affect anybody. However, those at higher risk are people over the age of 65, babies and young children, pregnant women, and people with acute or chronic health problems.
Here are some tips for coping in hot weather:
- Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade, especially between 11 am and 3 pm. Wear sunscreen, a hat, and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activities that make you hotter.
- Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and hot drinks, and take a cool shower or apply cool water to your skin or clothes.
- Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees Celsius. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.
- Stay hydrated – generally, drink at least half a liter of fluids every two hours.