by Aman Gupta Pokal
Extreme heat events can be dangerous to health – even fatal. These events result in
increased hospital admissions for heat- related illness, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Extreme heat events can trigger a variety of heat stress conditions, such as heat stroke. Heat waves can kill via the dehydration caused by heavy sweating; the altered sodium and potassium concentrations in the blood confuse both heart and nerve cells, and so breathing or heartbeat may suddenly stop. I will go over some simple techniques to protect yourself from these dangers below.
Stay Cool
Staying in air-conditioned buildings.
Local libraries are great places to escape the heat.
Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device.
Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when it is the hottest part of the day and avoid direct sunlight.
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Take cool showers or baths to lower your body temperature.
Adjust blinds, shades, curtains and awnings to keep out the sun.
Check on at-risk friends, family and neighbors at least twice a day.
Children and pets should not be left unattended in closed vehicles. Temperatures can reach dangerous levels rapidly.
Stay Hydrated
Drink more than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
Drink from two to four cups of water every hour while working or exercising outside.
Avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.
Make sure your family, friends and neighbors are drinking enough water.
Stay Informed
Check your local news for extreme heat warnings and safety tips.
Visit www.gcph.info to find local information and tips for preventing heat sickness.
Keep your friends, family and neighbors aware of weather and heat safety information.
Some Quick Tips
Avoid exercising outdoors when pollution levels are high. When the air is bad, walk indoors in a shopping mall or gym or use an exercise machine. Limit the amount of time your child spends playing outdoors if the air quality is unhealthy.
Use less energy in your home. Generating electricity and other sources of energy creates air pollution. By reducing energy use, you can help improve air quality, curb greenhouse gas emissions, encourage energy independence and save money!
Encourage your child's school to reduce exposure to school bus emissions. To keep exhaust levels down, schools should not allow school buses to idle outside of their buildings.
Walk, bike or carpool. Combine trips. Use buses, subways, light rail systems, commuter trains or other alternatives to driving your car.
Don't burn wood or trash. Burning firewood and trash are among the major sources of particulate pollution (soot) in many parts of the country.
Use hand-powered or electric lawn care equipment rather than gasoline-powered. Old two-stroke engines like lawn mowers and leaf or snow blowers often have no pollution control devices. They can pollute the air even more than cars, though engines sold since 2011 are cleaner.
Don't allow anyone to smoke indoors and support measures to make all public places