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When the weather heats up, these stay cool tips can help you beat the heat and stay safe!

Living in Florida can be tough if you’re like me and hate the heat and humidity.

This summer has been exceptionally brutal. A large portion of the United States, including here in The Villages, is battling a summer heat wave. Temperatures are soaring high into the 90’s and even 100’s in some spots. With soaring humidity, it makes for uncomfortable conditions.

Heat-related deaths and illnesses like heat stroke are preventable yet many people succumb to extreme heat because they fail to take the necessary precautions.

The CDC recommends preventative measures to stay cool, beat the heat and safe.

Table of Contents

STAY COOL TIPS AND BEAT THE HEAT

1. Avoid Alcohol and Sugary Drinks
  Alcohol and drinks containing large amounts of sugar cause you to lose more body fluid. When in doubt, stick with water.
2. Replace Salts and Minerals
  Heavy sweating will remove salt and minerals from your body. These items are necessary for your body and must be replaced. Sports drinks can replace the salt and minerals lost through exercise and sweating. However, if you are on a low salt diet, check with your doctor before consuming sports drinks.
3. Wear Sun Screen
  Baking in the sun is no fun, and it’s worse if you have a nasty sunburn. Make sure you wear sunscreen and apply it according to the package directions.
4. Stay Indoors
  When the mercury rises, the best thing to do is stay inside where it’s cooler. If you have AC great, you’re probably all set. If you don’t open windows at night, use a window fan to draw cool air into the room. In the morning, shut the windows and close the blinds, shades, or curtains to keep the heat from the sun out of the house. Use fans to keep cool during the day. If it’s hot inside your home, head to the mall or movie theater for a reprise from the heat.
5. Drink Plenty of Fluids
  Just when you think you’ve drunk enough, drink some more. You must increase your fluid intake during hot weather, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re already thirsty; just keep drinking throughout the day.
6. Take A Dip
  Luckily The Villages are full of community swimming pools you can visit to help you keep cool.
7. Take A Cool Shower
  My friend had always told me there were only three temperatures in FLA – hot, hotter, and hottest. Often in the dead heat of summer, the pools are not refreshing. Sometimes, a cold shower is the only thing that works!
8. Enjoy An Ice Spa
  Relaxing at an Ice-cold water spa helps spread a refreshing feeling all over the body, starting from the feet. Simply soak your feet in a half-filled pail with ice cubes and water to do this at home. Our body radiates heat from the palms of our hands, feet, ears, and face, so cooling down any of these parts will eventually cool the entire body.
9. Don’t Forget Your Hat
  I despise the sun beating down on my head, so I often wear a big floppy hat or another type of hat when out. It shades your face and keeps the sun from making you feel hotter.
10. Close It Down
  Whether the air conditioner is on or off, keep windows and doors shut if the temperature outside is above 77 degrees Fahrenheit (most people start sweating at 78). Opening a window invites heat to creep in whenever the outside air is hotter than the inside air.

RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES

Heat exhaustion is associated with:

Heavy sweating
Cold, clammy skin
A fast, weak pulse
Nausea and vomiting
Muscle cramps
Tiredness
Headaches
Dizziness and fainting

If you experience these symptoms, get to a cool place as soon as possible, sip water, loosen your clothes, and put a cold wet cloth on your body to help cool down. Seek medical attention if you start vomiting or if symptoms get worse or last longer than an hour.

Heat stroke is more serious and should be treated right away. Symptoms include:

High body temperatures — 103 degrees or higher
Red, hot skin — dry or damp
A fast, strong pulse
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Loss of consciousness

If someone is experiencing a heat stroke, they should get medical attention immediately. And in the meantime, move them to a cool location, lower their body temp with a cool cloth or bath, and only give them water if the person is awake and alert enough to swallow.

Children, older adults, pregnant people and people with chronic illnesses are strongly advised to limit outdoor activities to prevent heat illnesses. Health officials encourage checking up on friends, neighbors and those without air conditioning.

CONCLUSION

Using our stay, cool tips helps ensure you stay safe, hydrated, and cool when the heat rises and it’s just too hot outside. Tips like drinking plenty of water, using methods to keep your home cool and even a cool shower will help you when the mercury rises.

STAY COOL TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT

STAY COOL TIPS AND BEAT THE HEAT

RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES

CONCLUSION

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