Keeping Cool for the Summer

With the extremely warm weather here to stay this Summer, it is important to stay cool. Not taking action to cool off in warm temperatures can lead to some serious and sometimes fatal health conditions, such as heat stroke. To counter this, it is a good idea to realize when your body is hot and act toward regulating your internal body temperature to keep cool.

In warm temperatures, it’s natural to feel sweaty and uncomfortable. This is our body’s natural reaction to try and maintain its core temperature. To cool off, our body sweats and this sweat is evaporated off the skin providing cooling relief. Sweat happens because our skin has temperature receptors that know when it becomes hotter than an acceptable temperature.

Even though the human body has a natural cooling mechanism, when we are hot it is not good to rely on solely sweat to keep cool. In extended warm temperatures, the body can give out. Heat exhaustion or fever can occur when the body cannot regulate itself.

To remain in cool during this summer below we’ve listed some actions you can take:

• Take cold showers or go to the pool. Being in a colder environment will counteract the uncomfortable feeling of the heat. Pools are a great way to remain outside and stay cool.
• Apply cold packs to your body. Cold packs are a great temporary solution to cool down, but they usually do not cover the entire body. Immersing yourself in cold water may be better way to cool off to provide total body relief.
• Stay indoors. If it is too hot outside, it is recommended remain inside of a place with air conditioning. Avoiding the heat all together can be the best way to stay cool.

For more information on how to cool off this Summer, click here.

Article written by William Graves.