*melts* - IMPORTANT POST

[karen2205]

As requested by reddragdiva this is a post for sharing tips on staying cool/healthy in the summer.

People

Drink lots and lots of water to prevent dehydration (at least two litres/day, probably more)

Wear cotton clothes. If prone to burning wear clothes that cover up as much of your body as possible and use high strength sunscreen on the exposed bits.

Avoid strappy tops if you're prone to burning - they expose your shoulders to the sun and they will burn.

Sunscreen should be factor 15+ and applied generously. I've discovered I need factor 50 to stop me burning. If you've certain medical conditions you can have it prescribed for you. Reapply it throughout the day.

A wide brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses that meet safety standards are essential. Make sure the back of your neck is protected.

Plan your day, as best you can, to avoid being out in the heat/strong sun between 11am - 3pm.

Apply aftersun lotion in the evening. Not to any skin that's badly burnt though - never apply any creams to burns.

Eat when it's cool.

Always carry a large bottle of water with you when leaving the house.

beds

Sleep with open windows if you can (unless you've air conditioning that works best with the windows closed)

Use cotton sheets on your bed and cotton nightwear. Depending on warmth, a summer weight duvet might be OK, or a thin quilt/layer of fleece or maybe just a flat sheet.

Sleep on your own. Or have a huge bed and sleep at the opposite side to your partner.

If camping - you will still need a layer underneath you. I've been known to use my sleeping bag like a duvet. Other people like to use sleeping bag liners without the sleeping bag (I don't 'cos I can't get my legs into a comfortable position if they're zipped up in a bad shape. Leave the doors of your tent open. Sleep under the stars rather than in a tent (heavy duty groundsheet goes down first, then your bedding, then cover it all with a bed sized groundsheet.

Homes

Work out which rooms are coolest at which points of day and try to spend your time in the coolest parts of the house.

Consider having air conditioning fitted when you next replace your heating system.

Buy fans during the winter.

Turn your heating off before opening windows.

Make ice cubes in bags/trays to have in drinks.

Establish some shade in your garden if you want to sit out in it ie. via a man made structure or with plants/trees.

Close curtains/blinds during the day & open them at night.

Hang wet clothes/sheets in front of the windows

Open windows to get an airflow through the property

Offices

Request your office fan in the middle of winter.

Poke someone if there isn't a supply of cool drinking water

If it's uncomfortably hot (ie. the air conditioning is broken) see if you can wear less formal clothes. Otherwise wear short sleeved cotton blouses/shirts.

Comments

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Trees make wonderful natural air conditioning units, both cooling and filtering out dust.
Taking a shower before bed and going to bed damp can be a good way of being cool enough to fall asleep.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Cold hot-water bottles help me a lot in summer. And if I have to go out in the hottest part of the day I wet my T-shirt and wring it out so I'm wearing it damp.

[simonb.livejournal.com]

Its worth noting that for the average person you should drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day no matter what the weather is; in hot weather you should drink way more thank this - 3 to 4 litres.

And this is straight water - anything drink which has a diuretic effect will mean that you need to drink even more water. Common diuretics are caffeine (so thats coffee and potentially tea), alcohol and cranberry juice.

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

Where do your figures come from? I've had trouble tracking down the original sources for these sorts of guidelines, so any help would be welcome!

Drinking plenty is definitely a Very Good Thing, but I'd say don't go overboard on it, though, especially if you're exercising hard or have taken something that interferes with your ability to excrete excess water (e.g. ecstasy): you're far more likely to die of hyponatremia than from dehydration. The guideline I like is to make sure that you drink enough that your urine is always copious and pale: if it's ever minimal and dark, drink up!

[simonb.livejournal.com]

Have a look at this comment I made to a post on slimmingworld.

Its definately possible to drink too much water under certain circumstances; the usual one is for people suffering from diarrhea to drink too much water which then ends up flushing a lot of essential salts out.

I tend to drink some rehydration solution after a gym session for a similar reason as I drink a lot of water at the gym - at least 1½ to 2 litres in a 1½ hour session.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks, that's a helpful link - but sadly ends up at another dead end. The Keidel article you link to in that comment is interesting, but has only vague references like "Research has shown", "It is recommended", and "experts at the Mayo Clinic suggest", rather than an explicit reference to some research that I could follow up. Ah well, I'll keep trying!

the usual one is for people suffering from diarrhea to drink too much water

Oh yeah, that's a bad 'un. Oral rehydration salts are the business for diarrhoea. Little danger of overdosing on them too, if you make them up as the packet says - you'd have to drink even vaster quantities than of plain water, and they're not they're not a delicious taste sensation to say the least.

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

That previous comment was by me, messing up with the LJ interface yet again!

[simonb.livejournal.com]

I got some interesting results with a google search for the words "recommended daily volume water research", with the first link being a page titled "Recommended Water Intake A Myth!

As to the taste of oral rehydration salts... I have to admit that I really don't mind them that much; there again I have a weird taste in food anyway (porridge with mixed spice, sultanas, peppered german salami and cheddar anyone?)

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

My tips: Shade and ventilation! The twin keys to keeping cool. Make sure you and the room you're in (if you're in one) are in hard shade, and get the air moving.

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I needed to read, freezing my nuts to the size and colour of wrinkly blueberries in my cousin's farmhouse in the Nagle mountains. I feel warm again.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Apply aftersun lotion in the evening. Not to any skin that's badly burnt though - never apply any creams to burns. .

Why not add what treatments are good for burns? (besides doctors for the Really Severe ones)

Request your office fan in the middle of winter.

Huh?

Also, if you're going to be outside for a while during hot periods, get a bottle of water and freeze it. You can bring along a fridge bottle for immediate drinking, but the ice one will melt slower.