Unless you’ve been living in a cave lately, you’re likely aware of the extreme heat Beaufort – and much of the rest of the U.S. – has already been subjected to this summer. And we’re barely past the Summer Solstice. In my humble opinion climate change naysayers need to take a noontime walk on a day that the temperature number matches that of the humidity when both are in the 90s and the heat index is over 100 degrees. Then let’s discuss the possibility that the melting of polar icecaps and glaciers just might signal a major earth change.
But ‘nuff said about that. Instead, my focus is on how to stay cool despite the odds, dude.
First, a few facts. True news. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting uncommonly hot weather for the summer, and so far, these prognosticators are right on target. At the current rate of climate change, temperatures are set to only get worse. According to a recent article in AARP’s e-newsletter, “Older adults are more likely to experience organ damage, a heart attack or stroke, or even die from extreme heat….” Heat waves the summer of 2023 contributed to a total of 2,300 heat related deaths. And 2024 was the warmest year on record. A 2024 study published in Nature Communications indicates the world population of older folks at risk from chronic extreme heat will grow by 200 million-plus by 2050.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines “extreme heat” as a “period of two to three days of temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.” The “heat index” – how hot it feels when temperature is combined with relative humidity – also contributes to that definition.
“It’s the combination of heat and humidity that stresses the human body,” says David Della-Guistina, MD, a Yale Medicine emergency medicine specialist. When humidity rises, sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly, and the body can’t release heat efficiently. For example, if the temperature is 85 and quite humid but it feels like 100, your body can’t offload that heat.Under those conditions, you can become dehydrated in half an hour, which can result in heat illness, a blanket term that includes heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.Damage to the brain and other organs is also possible.
Two high risk groups of people more likely to succumb to heat illness are 1) construction workers, utility workers, and farmers, all of whose jobs keep them in the heat, and 2) the elderly, especially those living in unairconditioned housing, whose bodies can’t adjust to changes in temperature as well as younger people’s. The elderly may also have chronic conditions and/or may take medications that are not as effective in high heat. Children two years old and younger, athletes, pregnant women, people who are obese, have heart, lung, or circulation issues, use drugs or alcohol in an unhealthy manner, are mentally ill, or have diabetes may also be negatively affected by extreme heat.
All that said, what’s a body to do with the heat index odds stacked against it? To quote a line from Leonard Bernstein’s remarkable West Side Story, “Just play it cool, boy, real cool.”
Following are a raft of suggestions that can help you beat the heat while staying safe.
The first and most obvious is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends consuming an eight-ounce cup of water every 15 to 30 minutes. A number of free phone apps, such as Waterllama, WaterMinder, and Aqualert, can provide great reminders.
Of course, an active athlete will need more liquid than a couch potato.
“We generally tell people to use the color of their urine to gauge how hydrated they are,” says Dr. Della-Guistina. “If your urine is yellow, you’re already one or two liters behind. If you’re drinking enough water, your urine should be clear to pale yellow.”
On ultra-hot days limit or skip entirely your alcohol consumption. At least alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water. Unless, of course, you’re rockin’ a beer-guzzling, boat bobbing weekend on the Beaufort River Sandbar. That particular urine test could be flawed!
Don’t let your sodium level get too low, the doc adds, as that can precede major problems, including an altered mental state or cardiovascular collapse. Sports drinks can help replace electrolytes, including sodium, that water alone can’t do. Consider mixing half a sports drink with water to get the combo of electrolytes and hydration.
If you’ll be spending time outdoors in the hot sun, use sunscreen and reapply it every couple of hours, especially if you’re in the water a lot or on the Sandbar. As much as possible, avoid direct sunlight. Instead, pick a shady spot to put your feet up for a bit between sets of pickleball. Having grown up in the era of lounging in a tanning bed, slathering on baby oil, and using a reflector to draw sun to my face for a “healthy-looking tan”, I can testify that too much direct sun without a strong sunscreen can lead to skin cancer. No fun.
Check with your doctor to make certain you’re not on any medications that can change the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Some antidepressants, for instance, can affect the function of the hypothalamus, the body’s internal thermostat.
An ice-cold shower or bath can reduce your core temperature quickly and safely. If you’ve been working in the garden all day, take three or four minutes for an impromptu shower under the hose over your head and back. Talk about refreshing!
If you don’t have air conditioning, spend a few hours in a library, café, or movie theater to help bring your body temp down before heading back out into the heat.
This next idea is pure genius. Make a DIY cold compress. Fill a clean sock with uncooked, dry rice, tie at the end, and put it in the freezer for a few hours. Unlike water, rice doesn’t freeze solid, so the sock will conform to your body more easily.
Along the same lines, apply an ice pack, cold washrag, or a bag of frozen veggies directly to pulse points on your neck, wrists, temples, armpits, or groin. Be sure to wrap the pack in a towel so as not to “ice burn” your skin.
Set your ceiling fan blades in the correct direction. To create a downdraft so the air blows at you, the blades must spin in a counterclockwise direction. Come wintertime, change them to go clockwise.
Wear lightweight, light-colored, breathable clothing. Think Lawrence of Arabia’s flowing robes. Also invest in lightweight sheets, such as linen or percale.
Limit your use of heat generating appliances – stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, and dishwashers – or run them early in the day. Use microwaves and outdoor grills for cooking.
Eat cool. Rustle up salads with cool avocado dressing, smoothies with fruit and healthy greens, chilled cucumber or squash soup, grilled fish, and make-your-own fruit juice popsicles. Yum!
Finally, take to heart the good-for-you words of comedian Bill Murray, “The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything.”
Even staying cool!
