How to Prevent Heat Stroke and Dehydration During the Summer Months

Summer can be a time of fun and enjoying outdoor activities. But it can also be a time when heatstroke and dehydration are a concern. During the summer months, the warm weather is at it's hottest and it's important to protect ourselves from heat related illnesses. Here are a few tips for preventing heatstroke and dehydration so you enjoy your summer fun.

• Wear cool clothing. Keeping our clothing cool and light can help to prevent dehydration and heatstroke by providing our bodies with enough air to perform activities and not overheat. Light clothing such as cottons and linens, allow our bodies to breathe easily and keep moisture in rather than cause us to sweat profusely and lose valuable fluids. Be sure to dress for the weather to prevent dehydration and heatstroke. Wear light tank tops or short sleeve shirts, shorts, and flip flops or cotton socks and sneakers when the weather is at it's warmest. You'll reduce the chance of overheating your body and retain energy to do fun summer activities.

• Stay out of sun as much as possible to avoid dehydration and heatstroke. Take shade under a tree or awning of a house as much as you can. Keeping our bodies cool by staying out the sun on hot days will prevent overheating and dehydrating our bodies. It's important to keep moisture in our bodies by staying cool and not sweating moisture out of our bodies by spending time in the sun. If you must be out in the hot sun for a long period of time, cover up with an umbrella, hat, or tarp of some sort. Preventing heatstroke and dehydration by taking shade will help your body feel good overall and keep you healthy in during the summer months.

• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages when in the hot summer sun. Alcohol dehydrates the body anyway, but add scorching hot weather to the mix, and you're asking for trouble. Dehydration and heatstroke can easily take over your body if you drink alcoholic beverages during hot days. Alcohol strips the water from your body and changes your body's chemistry. This can create symptoms of dizziness, tiredness, and lack of energy. Consuming alcohol in the hot sun can also make you nauseous and cause vomiting, making your body even more dehydrated. If you need something to drink that has taste, try Gatorade, or flavored water instead of alcohol.

• Drink plenty of water. We all know that water is good for us, but it's extra important to consume more water during the summer months. Hot weather can dehydrate us and leave us feeling sluggish and tired. This is especially dangerous if we exercise in the summer sun. Heatstroke can come about if we let our bodies become too dehydrated by not paying attention to the low levels of fluid in our systems. Aim to drink at least 6-8 8oz glasses of water a day and be sure to increase that amount to at least 3 or 4 extra glasses if you are going to exercise or do strenuous activity in the sun.

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