Summer has finally come with Daytime temperatures are expected to exceed 30°C in much of the area of central and southern England on Friday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued Level 3 heat-health alert for London and East and South East England in answer, which means that action is needed to protect older people with chronic diseases, young children and babies.
Health teams in The Midlands and South West England have also was placed on level 2 alert meaning there is 80% chance temperature may exceed 30C.
So what are best strategies to stay cool in temperatures climb?
Wear loose clothing with long sleeves
Direct sunlight heats blood vessels in your skin, sending heat inward to its core and lifting body temperature. Babies are particularly vulnerable because they have a high surface area of skin in relation to their volume. Wearing loose clothing with long sleeves can help avoid this is. it also guards against sunburn (ref. below).
Cool hands face and legs
The so-called bare skin found on palms of hands, soles of feet and top of in facecontains special network of blood vessels designed to quickly control temperature. Applying cold water or an ice pack to these areas hastens body cooling. skin wetting, with cold flannel for example, also helps remove body heat through evaporation, which is the same reason we sweat.
Avoid cold showers
Ironically, a cold shower can help save body heat causing blood vessels in tighten the skin. It undermines one of in the body key strategies for heat loss: the approach of blood to the surface of the skin, so heat can radiate out (that’s why we look red when we’re hot). Longer dive in cold water, for example, for swim in lake, will gradually cool body – but cold showers tend to be quick affairs. shower in cool water is best because it will increase blood flow to the skin, increasing heat the loss.
Stay Hydrated
Significant reason heat waves are deadly dehydration. When people loses too much fluid through sweating, the blood thickens, increasing risk of clots and makes the heart work Stronger. Strong sweating also changes the balance of sodium and potassium in body liquids. It can affect nerves and muscle cells, which leads to further stress on heart. They are key The bottom line is to drink regularly throughout the day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can cause you urinate more often. don’t rely on thirst, which may not be a reliable indicator of state of hydration.
Hold the curtains and windows closed during the day
This is especially important for south-facing rooms where the sun’s rays penetrate windows will transform your environment in a greenhouse. How general rule, windows should be closed when indoors is cooler than out, usually on the hottest day, but opens when daytime temperatures drop in in the evening and at night.
Look for green spaces
Trees and plants take in water through their roots and release it through their leaves in a process called transpiration. This cools their immediate surroundings, as heat from the surrounding air causes evaporate this water. Studies suggest suburban areas with mature trees are 2-3 degrees colder than treeless suburbs. Trees also provide much-needed shade.
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Avoid sunburn
Not one wants blisters, swollen skin, but sunscreen should be yours last line of protection against the sun, not yours first. Instead, doing use of shadow when the UV index is at its highest – usually between 11:00 and 15:00 – protective skin with clothes and protect your head, neck and face with sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. If sun exposure is unavoidable, choose for sunscreen with wide protection against UVA and UVB rays. Sun protection factor (SPF) refers to UVB protection Only.
“We recommend sunscreen with minimum SPF of 30 and good UFA protection”said Dr. Tanya Blaker, President of british association of Dermatologists. “Sunscreen should apply generously and repeat every two hours after swimming, exercising, or any other activity that may chafe or wash off”.
