Getting too hot due to weather can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can’t compensate for it and properly cool you off. Heat exposure can even kill you: it caused 8,015 deaths in the United States from 1979 to 2003. Here are the factors to be most concerned about:
- High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won’t evaporate as quickly, which keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to.
- Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.
- People who are at highest risk are the elderly, the very young, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases
- But even young and healthy people can get sick from the heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather.
Air-conditioning is the number one protective factoragainst heat-related illness and death. If a home is not air-conditioned, people can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned.
Here’s what you can do to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths during hot weather:
- Stay in an air-conditioned indoor location
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and sunscreen.
- Schedule outdoor activities carefully.
- Pace yourself.
- Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
- Check on a friend or neighbor and have someone do the same for you.
- Do not leave children in cars.
- Check the local news for health and safety updates.
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10 Comments
I drink plenty of water. I also wear these new underarmor shirts that keep me cool.
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We appreciate the information here. It is easy to think that one is ok in hot weather outdoors but usually doesn’t realize it until too late. We also make sure we check up on our elderly neighbors.
Thanks!
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This summer is brutal! And we have had the power go out a number of times. It can be downright scary when you don’t have AC for days at a time in this kind of weather.
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All good info. I suppose a rule of thumb would be common sense. Air conditioning for those who can afford it is vital as well. Thx!
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For people who cant afford air conditioning, a big fan on the ceiling can be a cheap but effective alternative. I experienced this myself during summer in Madrid
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You have a lot of quality information listed. I appreciate this blog post!
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I live in a very hot area, and outdoor work, although most of the time we’re in the car, took the air at minimum power, and even alternate between on and stops it, otherwise when we move from the 22 degrees inside at 40 degrees outside, the feeling is very unpleasant
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Very informative and quality information listed. Drinking plenty of water when it’s hot outside is so critical to your health.
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Drinking enough water each day become even more vital in the blisteringly hot summer days. Good advice given.
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The most important thing is to always keep hydrated by drinking water frequently throughout the day. Our body is like a radiator it uses up water and needs to be filled up regularly.
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