How to survive heat and not get heat stroke

As predicted by Kazhydromet, hot weather persists in most parts of Kazakhstan. If you decide to spend time not under air conditioning at home, but in nature, then it is important to follow a few simple rules in order to avoid overheating of the body. To exclude undesirable conditions, you need to pay attention to what clothes you wear, what you drink and eat in the heat.

All of the tips listed below are the recommendations of doctors and nutritionists.

Less physical activity

In warm sunny weather, there is always something to do: you can organize a picnic, play tennis or go on a bike ride. But do not forget that too long activity under the sun can turn into unpleasant consequences for a healthy person. Even in cold weather, during physical activities, the heartbeat increases and blood pressure rises. In the heat, our cardiovascular system is feeling overtaxed. The fact is that when we are in the sun for too long and at the same time move a lot, the body rapidly loses water, so there is a risk of dehydration. And dehydration, in turn, can lead to such dangerous conditions as heat cramps (painful muscle spasms, due to overload in conditions of high temperature); heat and sunstroke.

Drink more

Banal, but effective advice: in order to prevent dehydration of our body, drink water as often as possible during the day. And you do not need to wait until your mouth dries up and you will be thirsty. If a person has no contraindications, it is recommended to drink from 1.5 to 3 liters of liquid. Ideally, you need to drink non-carbonated and not very cold water. You can drink natural fruit juices, but preferably without sugar.

But alcohol in the heat is highly discouraged. The fact is that all alcoholic beverages increase thirst, and consequently, dehydration. After drinking alcoholic beverages, the body overheats faster, resulting in headache, dizziness and even fainting.

Cool down with products

In addition to fluids, food can help keep the body cool. Of course, it should be only fresh products. Fruits and vegetables are perfect, as they have a lot of water. Among the favourites: watermelons and melon, some types of berries, for example, strawberries. It is useful to eat salads with tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers. In hot weather, you can often cook non-fatty soups and broths.

Wear the right clothes

What to wear when it's hot outside? First, it is important that the clothes are loose. Color and material play a key role. Dark clothing absorbs a lot of sunlight, hence heats up the body faster. The best option is a light shirt or dress made of materials such as linen, cotton, natural silk. Such materials are called "breathing" in them you will be comfortable even in the heat.

However, if you decide to protect yourself from direct sunlight, then you need to think about sunscreen clothing. The requirements for such clothing are different from the requirements for the type of things that will keep cool. Clothing that protects the skin from ultraviolet light usually has darker or even brighter colors.

This property allows less light to pass, but with a higher heat absorption. For this, tight clothing made of polyester or viscose is excellent. When buying sunscreen clothing, you should pay attention to its coefficient of protection against ultraviolet rays (UPF). For example, similar indicators are in sunglasses and cream. Such values indicate how much ultraviolet light the fabric transmits. The most acceptable values are UPF from 15 to 30.

Don't forget about glasses

Dark glasses are not only about style, such an accessory is simply necessary for our eyes. To protect the cornea of the eye from exposure to ultraviolet radiation, ophthalmologists advise always in sunny weather to wear sunglasses. They are able to hold from 90 to 100% of all the rays hitting - this is what you need.

The maximum degree of darkening of the lens will completely protect you from harmful radiation. Of course, it all depends on where and in what weather you will wear them. Glasses for the city, sea or mountains have different levels of protection against UVA and UVB rays. But it's important to know that not all dark lenses provide UV protection. Only glasses with special UVA/UVB markings can protect against UV radiation.

Use a protective cream

Surely you have already had to sunbathe? For a long time, scientists have proven that sunburns not only harm the skin, but also damage our DNA, which in the future can cause the development of skin cancer. Reduce exposure to sunlight can either clothing or sun cream.

When choosing a sunscreen, it's important to consider your phototype of eye, hair, and skin color (phototype is your skin's ability to respond to ultraviolet radiation based on its color). When interacting with the sun, human skin produces a special pigment that protects it from burning. The lighter the skin, the less protected it is. In such cases, a cream labeled from 30 SPF and above is suitable.

To understand: the higher the SPF, the more the cream is able to retain ultraviolet radiation. So, SPF 50 can filter up to 98% of the rays that fall on your skin. Lips also need protection from the sun. To moisturize them, you can also use a special balm.

Here is another short list of recommendations on how to behave during the heat:

- Do not spend more than 1.5 hours a day in the sun;

- If you get burned, avoid the sun for a few days;

- Do not expose birthmarks to radiation, be sure to close them;

- Remember, not all clothes protect against sunlight;

- Do not walk in the open sun with infants;

- Take a shower after sunburn, also use moisturizers.

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