During a heat wave or heat wave, it is essential to take good care of yourself to protect yourself. While the sun burns our skin and the oppressive heat dries us out, the desire to find freshness at all costs sometimes forces us into bad reflexes. So to survive the heat stroke, we flushed out the false good ideas you shouldn’t adopt.
take a cold shower
To refresh your body and mind during hot weather, nothing beats a good shower. It’s tempting to take a very cold shower to lower the temperature, of course, but it’s a reflex that should be avoided. By doing so, you even risk achieving the opposite effect. After being in contact with cold water, the body will want to warm up to regain the starting temperature of 37 degrees. So it will pump into your energy sources and thus produce heat…
It is therefore best to take a lukewarm shower to limit the temperature differences that affect the body. And to get the most out of the benefits, don’t sponge with your towel and dry yourself in the open air.
Drink ice water
Ah, a big glass of ice water! There’s nothing like very hot weather… In fact, when you sweat more, it’s essential to stay hydrated throughout the day. However, as with the cold shower, ice water is not recommended. To adjust the temperature of the water ingested, the body will have to use its energy sources that will create heat. In addition, if the ice water gives an immediate feeling of refreshment, it creates a feeling of thirst.
So for controlled hydration, drink between 1.5 and 2 L of water per day (amount should be adjusted according to age, weight and physical activity). And despite the temptation, opt for temperate water.
hydrating too much
Yes, it is possible to overhydrate. This phenomenon, called hyponatremia, mainly affects the elderly. While we often fear dehydration during periods of heat, we tend to want them to drink excessively. However, this is not necessary because they are less active and therefore perspire less quickly. Worse, by raising the amount of water in the body too much, salt levels in the blood can drop dangerously. A phenomenon that can be fatal.
Therefore, to refresh an elderly person, it is better to wet the skin than to let him drink constantly.
sleeping naked
The more the number of degrees rises, the more tempted one is to take off clothes. And what better time than in the evening to undress completely? However, sleeping naked is not recommended to combat the heat. The clothing makes it possible to remove perspiration more easily. Sleeping naked puts you at risk of sweating continuously throughout the night and becoming more dehydrated as a result.
For a good night’s sleep, opt for loose pajamas made from natural fibers such as linen, cotton or hemp.
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