How to stay cool and safe in a heat wave?

How to stay cool and safe in a heat wave?

Extreme heat becomes increasingly common around the world, with longer, more frequent heat waves spreading each year. These rising temperatures can put many at risk for heat-related illness, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Read on for expert advice on how to stay cool in the sweltering heat, even without air conditioning.

Staying cool and hydrated are often the two most important things you can do to avoid feeling sick and uncomfortable when it’s extremely hot. If you don’t have air conditioning, or if your A/C is on non-stop and you’re still feeling hot, here are ways to cool down your body and home:

  • Spray your skin with a mist of cool or room temperature water.

  • During the day, block the windows in your house with a blanket or darker sheet to keep out the heat.

  • If you don’t have air conditioning, keep windows open and running fans to circulate the air. Wirecutter, a New York Times company, has guidance on the best products to keep your home cool.

  • Wipe your forehead with a cool cloth.

  • If possible, avoid strenuous exercise outdoors.

  • Put ice cubes in your water bottle, especially when you are outside.

  • If you plan to exercise outdoors, or if you have to exert yourself outside of work, drink a slushie in advance or wet your head in cold water. Cold showers can also help you to cool down.

For adults, the CDC says: watch out for heat exhaustion symptoms, including heavy sweating; cold, pale and clammy skin; a fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; fatigue; dizziness; or headache and fainting. If you experience these symptoms, drink water, move to a cooler place if possible, loosen your clothes or try taking a cool bath or place cool, wet cloths on your body. Seek immediate medical attention if you vomit or if your symptoms worsen or last for more than an hour.

The symptoms of heat stroke, According to the CDC., include a high body temperature (103°F or higher); warm, red, dry, or moist skin; a fast and strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion and fainting. If someone experiences these symptoms, call 911 immediately and try to move the person to shade or a cooler area if available; use cool cloths or a cool bath to lower their body temperature. Don’t give them anything to drink.

Making things even more confusing, denial can also be a symptom of heat stroke. A person with a heat-related illness may begin to stumble or appear less coordinated than usual. Ask the person if they have a headache, nausea, or dizziness. Talk to them about various topics to see if they show any symptoms of confusion.

If you suspect someone has a problem with the heat, be careful and insist that they be shaded or in a cool place. Have them drink water and spray their bodies with cold water or rub them with ice or a cold cloth. If they don’t cool down quickly, seek medical advice.

Children should be instructed that if their friends become funny, confused or mumble, they should warn an adult.

There is no one-size-fits-all rule for the amount of water to drink, said Adriana Quinones-Camacho, MD, a cardiologist at NYU Lagone Health. But anyone should expect to drink more than usual, and constant access to water is key. Drink even if you are not thirsty. Because we lose electrolytes when we sweat, drinking Gatorade or other sports drinks with electrolytes can also help, she said. “Think of it like running a marathon, how many people can sweat on a day like today,” she said.

To determine how much water to drink, “you want to monitor your output,” said Dr. James Mark, an emergency medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. If you urinate less often than usual, or if your urine is a concentrated, dark yellow or golden color, this is a sign that you need to drink more. If you urinate frequently and your urine looks clear, you are probably hydrated.

Avoid drinking alcoholic or caffeinated drinks, which can dehydrate.

Eating fruits with water in them can help you ward off the heat, said Dr. Quinones-Camacho. If you eat salt, drink extra water to balance it out. Try to stay away from hot, body-warming foods, such as soup.

Young children are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Parents and caregivers should monitor and plan their activity during warm weather activities that are less likely to cause overheating, such as running through sprinklers or playing in a pool. Also, make sure children wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, use sunscreen, and moisturize regularly.

If a child plays outside of the water, try to keep him in the shade and consider bringing a spray bottle to spray his skin (and your own).

If it is humid and at least 90 degrees, children should not play outside for more than 30 minutes at a time. Keep babies under 12 months out of the sun as much as possible.

Teens are generally more active than adults in the summer, said Dr. Mark, and should plan activities like hanging out in a park before noon, when the heat will be less intense.

What are the signs of heat exhaustion in children?

If a child develops heat exhaustion, they may become dizzy and nauseous, develop muscle cramps, or begin to vomit. Her skin may feel cold and clammy to the touch.

If you notice these symptoms in a child, move her to a cooler place; ask her to sit still or lie down; remove excess clothing; apply a cool, wet cloth or water to her skin and give her water to drink.

What are the signs of heat stroke in children?

“In heat stroke, the skin is hot and dry instead of cold and clammy, and the child becomes drowsy and perhaps confused,” says Dr. Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Children with heat stroke may also develop a high fever or seizures.

Heat stroke can also occur in young children who have not exercised at all.

“They are either dressed too warm in a hot environment. They are left in a hot car or in a room with no circulation. They are wrapped in the sun on the beach,” said Dr. Tony Woodward, medical director of emergency medicine at Seattle Children’s. “All that stuff can cause their temperature to rise very quickly.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics parenting website, HealthyChildren.orghalf of children with sunstroke do not sweat.

If you suspect a child has heat stroke, call 911 and try to cool them down until help arrives.

Extreme heat can be particularly dangerous for furry friends. Here are a few simple precautions to protect dogs and other animals:

  • Take your dog for a walk early in the morning or after sunset when the air and streets are cooler. Avoid strenuous exercise from your dog on very hot and humid days and seek shaded paths or sidewalks whenever possible.

  • Always carry water and a collapsible bowl. Stop regularly to ensure your pet is adequately hydrated; panting, which is how they lower body temperature, causes water loss.

  • If your dog tries to slow down or stop altogether, let him rest and take frequent breaks.

  • If your dog shows signs of overheating — excessive panting, lethargy, a deep red tongue — put him in cold water as soon as possible. A cool wet towel or piece of clothing can also help.

  • If the signs of anxiety persist, see a vet immediately; organ failure can be rapid, irreversible and fatal.

  • Keep your pets cared for.

  • A cooling mat can also give your pet a reprieve.

“The most important thing is to stay well hydrated,” says Wayne McCormick, MD, a gerontologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Older people should drink a lot of their favorite beverage: “It could be water, it could be lemonade, just whatever is wet,” said Dr. McCormick. If mobility is an issue and someone cannot easily get to a public cooling center or a Air freshening space like a shopping center, Dr. McCormick recommends that they go to their basement, or go “as low as possible” in their house.

If an older person shows signs of being weak, tired, dizzy or nauseated, seek medical attention, said Dr. Quinones-Camacho.

Use a breathable cotton sheet, said Dr. Mark. You can place a fan by your bed and spray your sheet with cold water before going to sleep, or put your pillowcases or sheet in a plastic bag and keep it in the freezer during the day. A cold bath or shower right before bed can also help.

Stay hydrated before going to bed, and if you wake up in the middle of the night, drink water, said Dr. Quinones-Camacho.

Additional reporting by Tara Parker-Pope, Christina Caron, Gretchen Reynolds and Caitlin Kelly.