20 Jul
0
Heat waves are serious business. Here are a few quick tips on how to stay safe in extreme heat:
- Drink water consistently throughout the day. And anything with electrolytes helps. By the time you’ve become dehydrated and decide to chug a glass of water, your body will need several hours to catch up. So keep drinking consistently throughout the day, even if you’re not feeling urgently thirsty at the time. Stay ahead of dehydration. (If you’ve stopped peeing at your normal rate, or at all, then you’re dehydrated.)
- If you get a headache, feel nauseous, have gone very red-faced, have cramping, or feel like your limbs are heavy and your motor skills are slowing, you’re heading into heat stroke territory. Fainting is coming up next, so go rest in a cool spot and drink water. Go easy for the rest of the day.
- If you see a normally perky person who seems confused, staggering or dull in their responses and reactions, get them into the shade or ac right away.
- If you need to cool down quickly, put ice packs or cold wash clothes in or on your arm pits, neck, back, and groin, get into ac or shade, remove excess clothing, take a cold shower or bath, or sit in front of a fan swathing yourself with a cold wet cloth over your face and limbs to help evaporation and cooling.
Just go easy and pace yourself. Rest if you need to. Just like plants, we wilt in the heat. So remember to water yourself as much as you water them.