Hot, very hot, amazing temperatures, fires and droughts: this summer is one of the hottest on record. He does not let us sleep at night, torments us during the day, and it seems that there is no way out. Rushing homemade sedatives is crazy, but… sorry, no sorry, a lot of grandma’s secrets don’t work at all – in fact, they have the opposite effect. Ice shower, working air conditioning, drinking only drinks with ice: they give short-term pleasure, but soon they make us feel worse, much worse. Get ready to take notes because it’s there The Ultimate Guide to Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Cool Down (Really).
Taking a cold/ice shower will make you feel better… just for a few moments
Let’s start right away with the great classic summertime mistakes when looking for an escape from the heat: rushing into the shower with cold, very cold water to feel relief, stop sweating and sleep better. In fact, the body does not feel a sharp change between external warmth and freshness of water at all, therefore it reacts by further increasing the internal temperature: Heat shock essentially “wakes up” the metabolic mechanisms of the body, causing it to warm up. I mean if you try to stop sweating cold showers will make you sweat even more and sleep peacefully. The ideal would be to set the water temperature between 20 and 22 degrees, a temperature slightly below body temperature, which is ideal for feeling relieved and sleeping better.
With heaviness in the legs from the heatinstead, cold water is recommended, but the jet is directed from the feet to the top of the thighs, from the bottom up, to stimulate circulation and avoid the thermal reaction we talked about earlier.
Diving enthusiastically into the water, a danger we don’t take into account
You can’t wait cool down and dive head in the sea, lake or river? Do not do that! According to experts, in this heat risk lies in hydrodamageSudden and strong exposure of warm skin to cold water can drastically lower heart rate and blood pressure, even causing nausea and unconsciousness. It is important to dive into the water gradually, starting to wet the head first, then gradually the rest of the body, finally, calmly rushing into the water.
Drink too cold drinks – and the stomach does not like it
Heat to choke = cold, ice-cold drinks with a ton of ice. In fact, even in this case, the relief is short-lived, and the cooling effect does not last very long: the body, not appreciating this heat stroke, will try to adjust itself, expending a lot of energy to warm up again. Alias: you feel hot, sweat more and become dehydrated Faster. Let’s not forget that too cold a drink can also damage the stomach and cause stress in the intestines: many very cold drinks speed up transit and increase the risk of diarrhea.
Drink cocktails thinking they are fresh and soothing.
Another huge mistake is that drinking alcoholic cocktails with the belief that they refresh us. In addition to not quenching thirst at all, they dehydrate very quickly and only make us feel more warm, as well as cause unpleasant dizziness.
Limited coffee and tea please
All those who diuretic drinks such as coffee and some teasthat is, those that make us urinate more should be avoided during the hottest hours, because they remove too much water from the body, dehydrating it just when it needs additional water supplies.
Turn on the air conditioner at very low temperatures
Is it 40 degrees outside? The instinct is to get back in and turn on the air conditioner at a very low temperature, but be careful: the difference between internal and external heat becomes excessive, and as we saw earlier, the body reacts by producing more energy for self-regulation by heating up even more. In addition, we run the risk of getting inflammation of the ears, throat and nose.
Sleep with a fan pointing at you
When the heat becomes suffocating and sleep is impossible, the instinct is one: sleep with a fan pointing at you. However, it is not a solution without risk, especially for allergy sufferers: by constantly moving the same air, it throws allergens, dust and polluting particles into the face, which can cause asthma or severe allergic crises. It’s not over yet: those with a weak throat, tonsils, neck, and back may become inflamed or blocked. Better keep him away!
Open windows wide to let in (warm) air
Myself we think opening windows lets air in which might refresh us, well, we need to rethink: only more and more warm air comes in which raises the temperature in the house. What can be done to limit the heat? Close the shutters completely to keep out the hot rays of the sun, and if anything, open the windows just a little, just a little, if there really is air.
Source: Elle