Safety & Care

Survive a Heat Wave with These Cool Tips

Are you feeling the extreme temperature that comes with the season? – Or do you find it difficult to cope with heat waves? The tips below would help!

1. Hydrate and rehydrate
Your body suffers an excess of dehydration during heat waves. So you need to hydrate and rehydrate your body. Drink plenty of water. Your body needs a lot of water in heat waves.

2. Become a beach-lover
You could make visiting a lake, river or beach a hobby. Go swimming too! All of these would help.

3. Don’t have AC? Visit a friend with one!
This is a wonderful idea; especially when you lack a cooling system in your apartment. Visit a friend with an AC regularly.

4. Know this – your body needs time to adjust
Some people fall sick during heat waves because of the extreme change in the weather. Your body needs time to adjust to changes in weather. So in adapting to heat waves, you could use ice cubes in your water. It would help a great deal!

Again, don’t see getting ‘slushies’ for your children a bad move. The body needs pre-cooling to help it cope with heat waves.

5. Some ice on your neck could be helpful too!
Though you don’t have to wear icy collars or an icy compress on your neck like athletes, you could place some ice on your neck to help cool your body.

Survive a Heat Wave

6. Do what a girl would do!
Normally, girls don’t stay in the sun; they would stay under a shady tree and enjoy the shade with a cool summer book. Do same!

7. Promote air-flow in your apartment
Let your doors open and use box fans or ceiling fans to promote air-flow. Box fans force hot air out of your home. Make sure your windows are closed during the hot day and open at nights and evenings when the temperature outside is lower.

8. Soak your feet in the water and use wet towels on your head and shoulder, respectively. You could fill buckets or basins with pure water and then soak your feet. Cold showers help too!

9. Stay on the ground floor
The ground floor is usually cooler in times of heat waves since hot air goes up. If you have a basement, take refuge there!

10. Turn off lights and other sources of heat
Incandescent light bulbs, stoves, oven and other electrical appliances are all sources of heat! Turn them off when not in use.

11. Avoid foods that dehydrate – like caffeine, beverages, and alcohol

12. Visiting public places would help
Public places like shopping malls, cinemas and libraries usually have air-conditioners working especially during heat waves. You could make it a routine to visit these sites during the day.

13. Avoid foods that release heat to the body
Protein-rich foods will increase your body’s metabolism and release heat in your body. Your body becomes warmer as a result.

14. Stay alert!
You need to be alert to when you’ve developed signs and symptoms of ill-related illnesses. Alert emergency services by dialing 911.

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