So I’ve noticed that there haven’t been so many posts crossing my dash to help our European friends deal with this heat wave. Just in case y’all don’t remember from last year’s flood of advice for folks in the Pacific Northwest, here’s a list.
1. Stay hydrated. Water is good but it may not be enough. Fruits like watermelon, grapes, and oranges can help replace stuff you lose through sweat. Pedialyte, Gatorade, Powerade or other sports drinks or electrolyte drinks are literally life savers. Avoid alcoholic beverages.
2. Don’t forget creatures! Make sure your pets stay hydrated. Fill bowls with water for strays/wildlife. Put them in the shade to help stave off evaporation. Shallow dishes with pebbles work for insects like bees and butterflies. They’ll be suffering, too.
3. Reduce trips to only what is necessary and go very early or very late, if you can. If you must go out during the day, wear lightweight, loose fitting clothing and sunscreen. Hats help, too. Stick to the shade as much as possible.
4. Make sure your vehicle, if you have one, has fuel and coolant. You do not want to get stuck.
5. A damp cloth on the back of the neck can help keep you cool, so can a damp shirt. Take cool baths or showers. On really hot days I dunk my head and tie my hair up off my neck.
6. Advice from a southerner (American) without AC. Once the temperature hits 95°F (35°C), a fan is probably just going to blow hot air around. Open your windows at night to try and get cooler air in and block the sun out during the day with blackout curtains, blinds, or even a dark sheet.
7. Heat can dampen your appetite, but you still need to eat. Break out the charcuterie. You can hit all the necessary food groups without heating up your kitchen. You’ll feel better if you refuel.
8. Signs of heat exhaustion are headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, excessive sweating, muscle cramping, elevated breathing/pulse, elevated temp, and extreme thirst. Get out of the sun/heat immediately and cool down. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Heat exhaustion doesn’t mean a trip to the hospital unless it turns into
9. Heatstroke, which has symptoms that include high temperature (40°C), incoherence, throbbing headache, dry, hot skin, nausea and vomiting, rapid pulse/breathing. A person suffering from heatstroke may seem drunk. Immediately call emergency services. Move the affected individual into a cooler place, remove excess clothing and cool them down by any means necessary. Dump water on them. Move them into a tub with cold water. Put ice packs (frozen veg works in a pinch) at their neck, armpits and groin. Whatever you can do will help.
Stay safe friends. Anyone who wants to add to the list (or translate any of the existing list), feel free.
