Sweating
It\u2019s your natural cooling system. Your body pushes sweat out onto the surface of your skin. As the air absorbs it (evaporation), it draws heat away and cools you down. This works better in drier climates where humidity is low. You might get very tired and sometimes seriously ill if it doesn\u2019t work quickly enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heat Exhaustion
It happens in extreme heat when your body can\u2019t get cool enough and sweats away too much water and salt. You get pale and clammy, and your temperature often goes over 100 degrees. You also may be tired, weak, lightheaded, and nauseated, and have a headache. Get to a cool shaded area, lie down, and drink something with salt and sugar. Sip water if that\u2019s all you have. If you ignore it, it could lead to heatstroke, which is an emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heatstroke
This is heat at its most dangerous. You can\u2019t control your body temperature, which can go above 104 degrees. Your skin gets warm and dry. You might get confused or agitated, and have a fast pulse, nausea, and a headache. Call 911 right away. Left untreated, it may cause seizures, coma, and can be life-threatening. Get to a cool area, sip something (if you can), and pack ice under your arms and between your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dehydration
When it\u2019s very hot, you can sweat away too much fluid, along with essential minerals like sodium and potassium. You may be thirsty and pee less than usual, and your mouth and tongue might feel dry. You could even feel dizzy, lightheaded, and confused. Head for a cool place and drink something balanced with salt and sugar (such as an oral rehydration solution). Serious cases need emergency care, including fluids you get through an IV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heat Rash
It happens, often in hot humid weather, when you sweat so much that your sweat glands get blocked. When your pores can\u2019t get rid of it, you break out in tiny red bumps. It\u2019s more likely at your armpits, groin, neck, elbows, and under the breasts. Babies aso can have the same type of reaction, especially under their chin or in their groin area, You can help prevent it and treat it if you wear light, loose, absorbent clothing like cotton. Try to stay as cool and dry as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunburn
Bare skin burns if it\u2019s in the sun too long. It may get reddish, itchy, painful, and warm to the touch. If serious, you could have blisters, headache, fever, and nausea. In the long run, sunburn increases the risk of developing skin cancer, Go inside as soon as possible. Drink plenty of water, and don\u2019t pop any blisters. A cold, damp cloth and aloe vera lotions may help soothe the pain. Better yet, prevent sunburn with clothes, hats, and broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least 30 SPF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fainting
It\u2019s more likely when you\u2019re new to a hot place, so take care to stay hydrated. Heat can dehydrate you and make it harder for your brain to get enough blood. That may make you dizzy and pass out. It might be worse if you stand for a long time or get up suddenly. Getting used to a hotter place can take up to 2 weeks. If you feel faint, lie down and raise your legs above your head. Go to a cool area and drink fluids as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heat Edema
Heat can cause your fingers, toes, or ankles to swell and make your skin feel tight. It\u2019s not serious and usually goes away when you cool down and elevate your legs. Talk to your doctor if it causes pain, keeps happening, or doesn\u2019t get better.
Higher Heart Rate
When you get hot, your heart may beat faster. It does that in order to pump more blood to your skin, where it can release some of that extra heat. As a result, other parts of your body may not get enough blood. This could make you tired and sluggish, especially if you\u2019re trying to do hard physical or mental work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lower Blood Pressure
When you\u2019re hot, you sweat. That makes you lose fluids and electrolytes. In addition, heat makes your blood vessels dilate to increase sweating. Together, these things can drop your blood pressure, sometimes enough to make you dizzy or even pass out. It could be even worse if your heart doesn\u2019t pump normally and isn\u2019t able to adjust to the greater demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Confusion
You may find it harder to concentrate and do hard tasks as things heat up. It\u2019s usually nothing to worry about, and you can fix it with a rest in a cool place and something to drink. But if you\u2019re already sick from the heat and you become seriously confused about where you are or what you\u2019re doing, it could be a sign of heatstroke, which needs immediate medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should You Exercise in the Heat?
You might be fine exercising outside when it\u2019s 85 degrees and the humidity is low. But if the humidity hits 80%, it\u2019s like it\u2019s really 97 degrees. (That\u2019s the \u201ceffective temperature,\u201d which you can check online.) Even if you\u2019re healthy, that makes you more likely to get heat exhaustion. Wear loose clothing, drink plenty of water, and know the signs of heat-related illness. Or just take your workout indoors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Precautions
When a heat wave hits:
\u2022 Drink lots of water, even if you\u2019re not thirsty.
\u2022 Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which dehydrate you.
\u2022 Eat lighter meals, more often.
\u2022 Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
\u2022 Check on loved ones who live alone or don\u2019t have air conditioning.
\u2022 Stay inside as much as possible and avoid outdoor chores.
\u2022 Never leave a child or pet alone in a car, even if it\u2019s not that hot outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extreme Heat
It can be life-threatening, and heat exhaustion and heatstroke aren\u2019t the only reasons. Heat can also trigger heart issues, and even worsen breathing problems, as it boosts air pollution. Your city or local health department may have online information about where to find public pools, air-conditioned spaces, medical assistance, and other help during a heat wave.
Medically Reviewed by Sabrina Felson, MD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SweatingIt\u2019s your natural cooling system. Your body pushes sweat out onto the surface of your skin. As the air absorbs it (evaporation), it draws heat away and cools you down. This works better in drier climates where humidity is low. You might get very tired and sometimes seriously ill if it doesn\u2019t work quickly enough. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":366421,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[688],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-366306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-infotainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nagalandpost.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}