How to Keep Yourself Safe During Extreme Summer Heat

A deadly summer heatwave is currently spreading across many parts of the world. Temperatures in the US and Canada, in particular, are soaring to record levels, which already resulted in hundreds of deaths. The state of Oregon, for instance, reported 63 deaths linked to the heatwave, and British Columbia recorded close to 500 sudden deaths due to severe heat. Temperatures in Portland rose to a record-breaking 116°F (47°C), and the heat in many other places in the US has reached an all-time high as well.

While soaring temperatures during peak summer aren’t exactly surprising, the unprecedented heatwave that‘s blanketing America and Canada is said to be related to a ‘heat dome’ in the region. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this happens when “strong, high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with influences from La Niña, creating vast areas of sweltering heat that gets trapped under the high-pressure 'dome.'" 

 

It’s also said that heatwaves are now affecting 25 percent more land in the Northern Hemisphere than they did in the 1980s because of climate change. Furthermore, weather experts have warned that the number of heatwaves is likely to rise in the western United States. 

 

In such a situation, it is extremely important to keep yourself and your family safe by taking some preventive steps.

 

Who's most at risk from a heatwave? 

 

While a heat-related illness can affect anyone, experts say that some are most vulnerable to it: 

 

* The elderly (particularly 65 or older) 

 

* Infants and young children 

 

* People with chronic health problems (especially pre-existing heart disease) or disabilities 

 

* People who are overweight 

 

* People who don’t have air conditioning at home 

 

* People who work outdoors throughout the day 

 

* Pets. 

 

It goes without saying that, if you fall in the vulnerable category or live with someone who does, you must take extra precautions to cope with the excessive heat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that adults at risk from a heatwave must be monitored twice a day during the summer months for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children need even more supervision during this time.

Tips To Cope With a Heatwave  

 

1. Stay hydrated regularly, even when you don’t feel thirsty  

Regardless of how active you are, one of the most important steps you can take to keep yourself safe in the sweltering heat is to keep yourself properly hydrated. The more you sweat because of the hot weather, the more salt and minerals you will lose from the body. So don’t wait until you’re thirsty; keep drinking water throughout the day so that your body temperature remains regulated. The Red Cross says that an average person needs to drink about three-quarters of a gallon of fluid (about 12 cups) daily. Drinking sports drinks with electrolytes can also help.

To determine if you’re getting plenty of fluids, pay attention to the color of your urine. Slightly yellow or clear urine means that you are likely sufficiently hydrated. However, if you are urinating infrequently and the color is dark yellow or orange, it’s a sign that you need to increase your fluid intake. Also remember that children, the elderly, and pets can easily become dehydrated without even realizing it. So make sure that they are drinking sufficient water. 

 

2. Cool down with lukewarm showers 

Taking a cool shower or bath at least twice or thrice a day is quite helpful to beat the heat. However, not everyone is comfortable taking cold showers. In that case, try lowering the temperature to lukewarm before adjusting it to cold. But make sure that the water isn’t too cold, as your body might then react to the cold by preserving heat. 

 

3. Eat foods that will help you stay cool

Health experts say that eating foods with a higher water content like fruits and vegetables can help your body remain cool in the sweltering weather. Some water-rich foods that can help you stay hydrated are: 

 

* Lettuce (Water content: 96%) 

 

* Celery (Water content: 95%) 

 

* Cucumber (Water content: 95%) 

 

* Tomatoes (Water content: 94%) 

 

* Watermelon (Water content: 92%) 

 

* Strawberries (Water content: 91%) 

 

* Cantaloupe (Water content: 90%) 

 

* Peaches (Water content: 89%) 

 

* Oranges (Water content: 88%) 

 

* Plain Yogurt (Water content: 88%). 

 

Include these foods in your diet during the summer months to energize yourself with hydration and nutrients. 

 

Also, make sure that you stay away from hot foods like soups, as they will end up warming your body. If you are having salty foods, then drink an extra glass or two of water to balance it out. 

 

4. Make arrangements to sleep well in the heat 

Getting a night of good sleep in a heatwave-like situation can be quite difficult. Having an AC helps, but we can’t leave the AC running all night day after day, right? Ideally, a temperature of about 65°F (18.3°C) is considered perfect for sleep. But when the weather outside doesn’t cooperate with you, it can result in sleepless nights and leave you feeling tired and irritable the next day. Moreover, sleep deprivation can lead to reduced cognitive performance, memory issues, and reduced focus. 

 

Thankfully, there are a few simple arrangements you can make to sleep soundly in the heat: 

 

* Use a light and breathable bed sheet. 

 

* Set up a fan or cooler near your bed. 

 

* Spray your sheet with cold water before sleeping. 

 

* A cold shower before bed can also make a difference. 

 

* Make sure you are properly hydrated before hitting the hay. If you wake up in the middle of the night because of the heat, just drink a glass of cold water. 

 

* Wrap your pillowcases in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer for about 15 to 30 minutes before bed. The chill won’t last the whole night, but it should help you drift off to sleep comfortably.

 

5. Keep curtains closed during the day

During a heatwave, you should keep the curtains in your house closed during the day to keep direct sunlight out. This will also help your room become cooler. If it becomes breezy outside, you can always open the curtains again. But avoid using dark-colored or thick curtains or blinds, as they are likely to trap the heat and cause the temperature in your room to rise. 

 

If you have an air conditioner, set it to a lower temperature. In case you don’t, a good way to cool the room quickly is to place a tray or dish of ice in front of a fan.

6. Know your body's quick-cooling spots  

A quick way to cool your body down as the temperatures soar outside is to apply ice or a cold compress to certain parts of the body. Some of the most popular spots are the neck and wrists because they both contain pulse points. In these areas, the blood vessels are close to the surface of your skin. Hence, you can cool off your blood and body temperature by getting these points in contact with cool water. 

 

Some experts also say that the inside of the elbows and knees, the tops of feet, and the inner ankles are quick-cooling spots. Use a cold towel or pour cold water onto these points to cool your body down effectively. 

 

7. Avoid strenuous exercise. Keep it light.

Keeping your body active and fit is good, but you must cut down on exercise during the heat. Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you keep on overexerting yourself, you might be putting yourself at risk of illness. Strenuous exercise, along with the heat and humidity, can increase your core body temperature, and your body would then need to send more blood to circulate through your skin to cool itself down. This leaves less blood for your muscles which can lead to an abnormal increase in heart rate. If the humidity is also high and you continue to exercise, then your sweat doesn't easily evaporate from your skin, and that pushes your body temperature even higher. 

 

If you have to work out, do so in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Instead of long cardio sessions, opt for quick interval training during severe summer weather to ensure that your body doesn’t overheat. If any type of exercise makes your heart pound, leaves you gasping for breath, or makes you lightheaded, stop all activity and relax in a cool area.

8. Avoid caffeine and alcohol The CDC warns that we should stay away from alcoholic, sugary, or caffeinated drinks in the heat, as they cause you to lose more body fluid. Consuming them in excessive amounts during a heatwave can lead to dehydration. Chilled drinks should also be avoided during this time, as they can cause stomach cramps. 

 

The best drink is good old-fashioned water. Use an aluminum-lined bottle to store your drinking water to keep it cooler longer. Add fresh herbs, lemon, or orange slices to enhance the taste. Coconut water and fresh fruit juices are also great. 

 

9. Use wet wipes and mist sprays

If you have to venture out during a heatwave, carry some wet wipes and a facial mist to keep yourself fresh and cool. Many new wet wipes and sprays are developed to lower your skin temperature and help you withstand a heatwave. Search for those at your local drugstore, and always keep them in your bag when you're heading out.  

 

10. Recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness

Extreme summer heat leads to the risk of various heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Heat-related illness can make you confused or even unconscious. Watch out for any signs of heat illnesses. Some of the most common ones are: 

 

* Hot dry skin 

 

* Profuse sweating 

 

* Cold, clammy skin 

 

* Rapid heartbeat 

 

* Nausea and vomiting 

 

* Confusion, disorientation, or dizziness 

 

* Muscle cramps 

 

* Tiredness or fatigue 

 

* Headaches 

 

* Dark-colored urine. 

 

 If you or anyone you know experiences any of these symptoms, get to a cool place quickly and sip on some water immediately. You can also loosen your clothes and put a cold wet cloth on your body to help cool it down. If the symptoms don’t improve or worsen, seek immediate medical help. 

 

Hot weather may also lead to a heat stroke, which is usually marked by high body temperature (103°F or higher), hot, red, dry, or damp skin, a rapid pulse, and confusion. If someone you know experiences these symptoms, get instant medical attention.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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8 Clever Ways to Cool Down Your Bedroom in the Summer Heat

Getting a good night's sleep during the hottest summer months seems impossible at times. Sometimes, even the air conditioning doesn't help, and you end up rolling from side to side and sweating like a sinner in church all night long. But even if it does, having the AC running all night for months seems like a waste of your hard-earned money, doesn't it?

To save yourself some cash and still sleep well all summer, irrespective of the heat, there are many things you can do, like proper insulation, ceiling fans, and other general tips to consider to keep your entire house cool.  But insulating your attic and installing ceiling fans are long-term projects that require professional help, a lot of time and possibly money, and chances are, you need some quick fixes to cool off and sleep well right away. So here are 8 clever and easy tricks that are sure to keep your bedroom cool and fresh all night, and require little time and even less money on your part.

1. Bring in some indoor plants

Turning your bedroom into a jungle full of greenery and fresh air is an excellent idea! Not only will the plants help you sleep better all night by providing you with fresh oxygen, but large leafy plants will also block out the sun and make sure the bedroom is in shade and hence a cooler place in your house. Planting shrubs and trees outside of the bedroom window is also a good idea, if possible.

In addition, some plants are natural coolants, and they provide lots of fresh oxygen and cool down the air in the room. Such indoor plants include aloe, snake plant, ficus plants, spider plant, Boston fern, pathos, and the Areca palm tree, and they will look great in your bedroom!

2. Make your windows reflective

Most of the heat gets into your bedroom with the light that shines through the windows, and so blocking or filtering out some light might really help reduce the heat in the bedroom. To do so, you can cover your windows in a special reflective film, which is available in most hardware stores and online and is easy to install on your own. The nearly transparent film acts as a filter that will let in only 47% of the sun's rays through, just enough to bring in some light into the room without overheating it.

In a pinch, you can also use regular tin foil or foam sheets with a foil backing to cover your bedroom windows that will basically have the same effect. The downside of this trick, however, is that the foil will block most of the light and doesn't look particularly appealing, but it works!

3. Choose the right curtains and blinds

Lightweight sheer curtains are not suitable for bedrooms, as they will let in too much light. Another great way to block out the sun's rays and keep your bedroom cool apart from the reflective film are blackout curtains or blinds, which you would ideally close throughout the day to keep the room fresh. Blackout curtains especially can block nearly 100% of the light and also have some noise-canceling properties and help trap heat in during the winter, which makes them an excellent choice for sensitive sleepers year-round.

4. Opt for light-colored furniture and accessories 

Even such a seemingly-minor detail as color can make a big difference in terms of trapping in unwanted heat. We recommend you choose light-colors like white, off-white, beige, or greige in your bedroom during the summer. To understand why you must remember a bit of color theory: dark colors, such as black, navy, and dark brown absorb light, whereas light ones reflect it. Thus, light-colored accessories, furniture, textiles, and bedding will not absorb much light and subsequently heat, too, so they're a much better choice for the warm months. 

5. Choose the right fabric for your bedding

In a previous article on staying cool at night without air conditioning, we've mentioned that cotton bedding is superior to polyester and satin in the summer. We'd like to specify that a bit more, as it's not just cotton, but also linen fabrics that are excellent for the summer months. Both of these fabrics are woven from natural fibers and thus are very breathable, which is key for losing heat. 

Linen, in particular, has natural cooling properties, and it's also antimicrobial and moisture-wicking. Both cotton and linen are natural insulators, which means they will help you cool off in the summer and keep you warm in the winter. Textile experts also suggest a percale weave for the summer, which is an especially closely-knit weaving technique that results in a cooling and smooth-feeling fabric.

6. Get a carpet for your bedroom

Insulation is key to effective and efficient climate control year-round, and not just in the summer, which is why experts always advise homeowners and renters alike to insulate their attic, windows, and any other cracks and gaps from where air may escape. However, few people actually know that one of the easiest ways to insulate the floor is by using a carpet. The carpet fibers will help fill in any insulation gaps in the floor that may otherwise be pricey and effortful to repair.

7. Air out the room

Don't want to use the air conditioner at night? In that case, opening the bedroom door may actually prove beneficial, as simple as that. An open door will increase the ventilation in the room and promote the circulation of fresh, cool air from other rooms into your bedroom. Be wary of drafts, however, and always use door stoppers to prevent the door from slamming shut in the middle of the night.

8. Change the lightbulbs

If you're still using old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs in your home, it's definitely time for a change. These lightbulbs are significantly less efficient than LEDs and CFL bulbs and gobble up to 80% more energy. They also let out about 90% of the energy they use as heat, which means that they will increase the temperature in your bedroom, unlike fluorescent and LED lightbulbs.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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4 Unexpected Ways Summer Heat Is Throwing Your Body Out of Whack

Summer is finally in full swing—which means cute sandals and sunglasses, beach vacations, and ridiculously scorching weather. If you're feeling the heat, literally (does it really need to be 85 degrees before nine in the morning, seriously?) you’re not alone.

Hot temperatures can mess with your body in all sorts of sneaky ways, and we don't just mean the threat of a sunburn or sweating through your outfit on the way to work. Here are four common ways hot, humid weather takes a toll on your health, plus how you can beat heat's effect on your system.

You're sniffling and sneezing

Flowers bloom in the summer—and so do plants and grasses that produce pollen , says Kim Knowlton, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. In response to the warm weather, pollen production goes up, and the presence of pollen in the air can leave even people with mild allergies sneezing, sniffling, and rubbing their itchy eyes through Labor Day.

To reduce these allergy symptoms, pay attention to the daily pollen count and try to stay indoors as much as possible on high-count days. If you can't give up your outdoor run or yoga class, try to time it (as well as other outside activities) toward the end of the day, when pollen counts go down. And keep windows shut in your house to keep allergens from turning you into a sneezy mess in your own home.

You toss and turn all night

Too hot to sleep—but the air conditioning in your room is making you shiver? Summer makes it tough to find that happy medium. Most people sleep best when the temperature is at 65 to 66 degrees; as the temperature goes up, sleep quality tends to go down, says Chris Winter, MD, neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine in Virginia.

The right temperature could also help you stay asleep through the night and score better sleep quality. So if you find yourself waking up fatigued and fuzzy-brained, try adjusting the thermostat. Dr. Winter says many of his patients have reported resting much better when they lower their bedroom temperature, even if they hadn't noticed sleep problems. Don't feel guilty for using so much electricity—cranking up the AC to a healthy level is good for you.

Your heart pounds way more than normal

You do a hard-charging cardio workout three times a week, but your heart rate is suddenly spiking on your walk to work in the morning. What gives? Jonathan Newman MD, MPH, cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, says higher temps have both direct and indirect effects on your heart.

For starters, if you live in an urban area, you may notice smog or haze fogging up summer skies. Air quality tends to get worse at higher temperatures, and that air pollution itself can take a toll on the heart and vascular system, Dr. Newman says.

Plus, at the most basic physical level, "your heart is working overtime" in the summer, says Kim Knowlton, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Your heart beats faster in order to pump overly warm blood from your body’s core out to the skin’s surface," says Dr. Knowlton, which helps cool you down.

Since your faster heartbeat is all part of your body's way of keeping you cool, there's not much you can do to prevent it. Taking normal precautions in the heat—drinking lots of water, not exerting yourself too much—are always good ideas. And of course, "eating a heart healthy diet, controlling your blood pressure, controlling your cholesterol, and increasing physical activity," Dr. Newman says, will keep your ticker in good shape so it can handle 90-degree days.

You're racking up lots of mosquito bites

When the weather is warm, you want to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible. But while you're embracing nature, dining al fresco, or just enjoying a backyard barbecue, mosquitoes are making you their buffet.

Unfortunately, summer is prime time for mosquitoes. Their prey (in other words, us) are outside more, and the little vampires also mature faster when the sun is out strong. That means skeeters live fast and die young, so the time between the day one hatches and the day it becomes a disease-transmitting adult is shorter. With mosquitoes taking less time to reach this stage, diseases (such as Zika and the West Nile Virus) can spread more quickly, says Aileen Marty, MD, an infectious disease specialist in Washington, D.C.

What can you do to protect yourself? When you're hanging outside, skip your signature scent in favor of bug spray, says a dermatologist. She recommends Ultrathon Insect Repellent. "It's creamy and it says on your skin longer," says Dr. Jaliman. It also has DEET, one of the few ingredients that have been shown to be truly effective in warding off mosquitoes.

And what you heard as a kid is right—don't scratch! As itchy as these bites are, scratching them can create an open wound, making you susceptible to infections, especially since there's plenty of bacteria hiding under your nails, says Dr. Jaliman.

If you just can't keep your hands off your bites, Dr. Jaliman has a few suggestions. "Use ice cubes to stop the itching; over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or aloe vera gel will also diminish the itch and reduce swelling," she adds.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement