Summer heat: hydration and coolness!!!
While you are outdoors this summer on extremely hot days, weeding, gardening, clearing brush and making your home fire-safe, take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Hydration! Keep a large water bottle with you and remember to drink out of it. Remind your children, friends, and neighbors to drink plenty of water as well. Children are likely to heat up faster than adults; they also sweat less and forget to drink water. Our elders are also at higher risk because they may have medical conditions that make it difficult for their bodies to regulate. Even your nonhuman companions need extra care. Many dogs can overheat once the temperatures are in the 80s, depending on size and breed, according to the American Kennel Club.
Coolness! The best way to bring your core body temperature down is immersion in cold water. Cold showers and baths are a quick way to do this, but you can also pour a bucket of ice water or cold water over yourself, or several buckets. If you have a fan, stand in front of it with wet skin.
It’s not just the rest of your body-your brain is also affected by heat! A recent New York Times article reported on the effects of heat on the brain, which include negative effects on cognition and emotions, such as impaired memory, decreased performance on tests and other similar activities, and increased aggression.