Summertime is upon us! The kids will be going out to play, vacations will be taken, days will be spent at the pool or beach, and projects that couldn’t be completed in the cold of winter will now be finished! While all of these things are essential components to a great summer – there is one side effect of the heat that nobody likes… Heat exhaustion. Muscle cramps, dizziness, profuse sweating, and weakness are just a few of its symptoms. It’s a surefire way to ruin a summer vacation, so just avoid it altogether with these four tips!
Acclimate to the weather
You’ve been stuck indoors all winter, so the instant some decent weather rolls in, you’re off to the races. This is a mistake. Your body is used to conserving heat and energy from the cold weather. Now you’re going to take your cold optimized body outside into ninety degree weather? Your body won’t know what to do! As excited as you are about the nice weather, give your body some time to adjust to the change. Avoid any strenuous activity outdoors until it’s been warm for a while.
Wear loose, light colored clothing
As much as we all love the slimming effect that black has, it is not a color to frequent wearing in the summertime. Black absorbs all light, which causes you to heat up much faster than if you were to wear a yellow or white shirt. Also make sure your clothes are loose. Tight-fitting clothes trap heat against your body, whereas looser clothes allow air to flow around against your skin.
Don’t get sunburnt
This one is important. Have you ever noticed that when you sunburn, your skin feels hot to the touch? How will your body be able to cool itself off when it is already in a state of being overheated? Make sure to use plenty of sunscreen and wear a hat to protect your face!
Stay hydrated
The absolute, end all, most critical component of avoiding heat exhaustion is to stay hydrated. To stay cool, you sweat. Well when you’re dehydrated, you can’t sweat, and you’ll heat up very quickly! A general rule of thumb is to drink 2 cups of water for every hour spent doing strenuous activity in the sun. This will ensure that you’re hydrated and your body has what it needs to regulate your temperature.
In the event you do experience heat exhaustion, for the most part – it can be handled at home: take a cool shower or bath, drink plenty of fluids, remove any restrictive clothing, and stay inside where it’s air conditioned. Monitor it closely, and if your symptoms do not subside within 30 minutes, seek medical attention, as heat exhaustion can quickly turn into the much more severe heat stroke.