Practical tips to keep cool when the summer heat starts making you sick

MANILA, Philippines — Summer in the Philippines can be quite hot and humid. This year is going to be particularly hot and cruel, with El Niño spiking up the temperature and making it unbearably hot. “Doubly hot” is still an understatement.

As the numbers on our thermometer climb, so does the threat of heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps or heat exhaustion, as well as the risk of succumbing to them. Children, the elderly and persons with chronic conditions are particularly susceptible to heat-related illnesses, with the red flag coming in the form of mild symptoms like red and itchy skin (heat rash) to more serious manifestations such as nausea, fainting and muscle pains (heat stroke).

Before anything like these happen, Amado A. Flores III, MD, of Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed), recommends brushing up on what to do when intense heat starts to make you physically ill and taking serious steps to beat them.

Heare are Dr. Flores’ suggestions:

Go somewhere cool to make the temperature go down. 

The most important thing to do is seek refuge in a cooler environment.

“It’s ideal for you to stay somewhere with air conditioning when you start feeling unwell,” said Dr. Flores. “When that’s not an option, even somewhere with shade is much better than standing under the sun. The goal here is to help your body cool down and lower its temperature.”

Hydrate with electrolytes. 

Hydrating is also key to bringing your body temperature down so go for a cool beverage like water or even a sports drink with electrolytes.

“Electrolytes, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride, help us maintain our fluid balance, facilitate nerve function, regulate muscle contractions and support numerous biochemical reactions within our bodies. Replenishing electrolytes during a heat wave is important because we lose them when we sweat,” explained Dr. Flores.

Cool the body. 

It’s also important to cool the largest organ of your body where heat escapes through — the skin.

Soak a towel (or napkins or even a t-shirt) and dampen the neck, back, chest and shoulders. According to Dr. Flores, the science behind this is that the wet towel will pull heat away from your body, cooling your skin and aiding temperature regulation.

“If possible, you can also try submerging your hands and feet in cold water. This is effective because the wrists and ankles have pulse points, where blood vessels are near the skin, allowing for a faster cooling process,” added Dr. Flores.

Stay out of the sun. 

When it comes to heat-related illnesses, prevention is always better than cure.

“Stay out of the sun if you can help it, especially during the hottest hour of the day at around 3 p.m.,” the doctor advised. “If you have to go out then wear light, loose clothing and be careful not to overexert yourself.”

Watch what you eat and drink. 

This is also part of staving off heat-related illnesses. Eat food with high water content: pineapple, tomato, celery, cucumber and cauliflower all go a long way in keeping your body hydrated.

You should also avoid drinks with alcohol and caffeine, as they act as diuretics, causing your body to shed more water than normal and speeding up the dehydration process.

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