Tips on Beating the Heat
According to NHS England, there are on average 2,000 heat related deaths every year. A heatwave poses health risks such as dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Here are a few tips from NHS England on how you can stay safe in the heat:
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, avoid drinking excess alcohol
- Keep out of the sun by staying indoors or in the shade, avoid being in direct sunlight
- Close the curtains in rooms facing the sun
- Apply sunscreen regularly throughout the day
- Wear light-coloured, loose fitting clothes
- Never leave anyone in a closed parked vehicle, particularly young children and animals
- Avoid exercising in the hottest parts of the day
It is important to stay cool to prevent heat related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The elderly, children and people living with long-term conditions are more at risk of these heat related illness.
Heat exhaustion is where you become very hot and start to lose water or salt from your body. It is not usually serious if you can cool down within 30 minutes.
Keep an eye out for the signs of heat exhaustion:
- headaches
- dizziness and confusion
- loss of appetite and feeling sick
- excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or pulse
- high temperature of 38C or above
- being very thirsty
If you notice somebody showing the signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down.
Heatstroke is where the body can no longer cool itself and a person’s body temperature becomes dangerously high. If heat exhaustion turns into heatstroke it needs to be treated as an emergency.
Call 999 if you or someone else are showing signs of heatstroke:
- fast breathing or shortness of breath
- a fit (seizure)
- loss of consciousness
- not responsive
If you are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can contact the emergency services using the 999BSL app.
A hot sunny day can make it very tempting to find a nice spot in nature for a BBQ, or even take a dip in open waters but these fun activities can be dangerous and pose a serious risk…
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue see an increase of incidents around summertime and have shared a some articles on how to prevent accidental outdoor fires, BBQ safety, and an insight on the dangers of swimming in open water.
