Did you know that excessive heat can make you ill? With temperatures rising, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from heat exhaustion and heatstroke, especially if you’re planning on spending more time outdoors.

Spending time in the sun is good for you in many ways, with sunlight boosting vitamin D levels, helping you sleep better and improving mood. As long as you’re applying sunscreen, a bit of sunshine can do a lot of good.

But staying in the sun for too long puts us at risk. Here’s what you should know.

Signs of heat exhaustion 

Heat exhaustion is less serious than heatstroke, but you should still take it seriously

Signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness 
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Loss of appetite 
  • Excessive sweating
  • Pale, clammy skin
  • Faster breathing and an increased pulse
  • A high temperature (101 degrees F or above)

The treatment for heat exhaustion is to cool down. Head inside if you can or move to a cooler place. Lie down, raise your feet and drink plenty of water.  

If you still feel unwell after 30 minutes of resting and drinking water, you should seek medical help.  

Signs of heat stroke

Heat stroke should be treated as an emergency. Call 911 if: 

  • your temperature is higher than 40 degrees C, 
  • you’re not sweating even if you feel hot
  • you feel confused
  • you have a seizure 

How to prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke 

The best thing you can do is actively work to prevent heat exhaustion. It’s easy to dismiss the problems overheating can bring, but you should always do the following: 

  • Drink water throughout the day. Put a bottle of water in the refrigerator so it’s cold, or add ice. 
  • If you’re working out in the heat, it’s especially important to stay hydrated, so make a conscious effort to drink more water before, during and after your workout.
  • Don’t do extremely high intensity exercise in the sun. If you’re set on doing an intense workout, do it indoors, preferably somewhere that has aircon.
  • Make sure you never burn. It happens quicker than you may think, so make applying sunscreen a priority before leaving the house. Get a broad-spectrum SPF that’s at least SPF 30. Apply it to every bit of skin that’s exposed (don’t forget about your neck and behind your ears) and reapply it every 2 hours. 
  • Wear a hat and sunglasses and wear light-colored, loose clothing that’ll keep you cool.