When the temperatures start reaching into the high 30s like they did for a couple of days last week, I try to find some excuse, any excuse, to head indoors and just stay holed up there for as long as I can without having to venture back outside.
The other evening after work, I went home and, for something to do, started reading Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. Before I even started reading, I took my shoes and socks off, put my feet up and sat back in my favourite overstuffed chair. If nothing else, I figured reading about the north would take my mind off the searing heat. I also knew that, on a purely scientific level, as the sweat on your bare feet evaporates it cools both the skin on your feet as well as the blood in your feet, which then moves along to other parts of your body, giving your feet and your whole body the sensation of coolness. It works.
People who live in places like Mexico and India have long known that eating certain hot, spicy foods on a hot day can also serve to cool the body down. Certain spices and foods such as chili peppers contain the chemical compound capsaicin which causes a person to perspire more readily. The more you perspire, the more your sweat evaporates and the more you experience a sense of relief.
To replace the moisture that your body loses as you perspire, you need to drink plenty of fluids. As your body loses water to dehydration, your body temperature rises, so replacing fluids is essential to keeping cool. And as hard as it is for me to say this, it is not a good idea to drink beverages that contain alcohol, caffeine or lots of sugar – all of which are dehydrating. On the other hand, it is a good idea to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet as they also help keep you hydrated.
When I know it’s going to be hot during the day, I make a point of closing all the blinds and curtains when I leave for work to help block the sun’s heat. That way I know it will be relatively cool in the house when I come home. I keep them shut afterwards so that I can walk around the house in one of my silk Hawaiian shirts and a pair of Old Navy shorts. My legs probably haven’t seen daylight in 35 years. Be that as it may it’s still cooler to dress in shorts and a light shirt or T-shirt -–even if, as in my case, you don’t actually look cool.
Not looking cool, however, is nothing compared to heat stroke.
Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat related medical conditions. Heat stroke can kill. It can also cause damage to the brain and central nervous system as well as other internal organs. The medical definition of heat stroke is having a core body temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 40.5 degrees Celsius. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures. More often than not it occurs in combination with dehydration, and while fainting or loss of consciousness may be the most obvious sign of heat stroke, other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion and disorientation. One thing I learned from researching on the internet for this column was that while heat stroke can sometimes effect younger people, it most often affects people over 50 … and I am just ever so slightly over that age.
I still figure the best way to avoid any sort of heat related medical condition is to simply stay indoors, drink lots of fluids and read a good book. Maybe I’ll read Robert W. Service’s Rhymes of a Rolling Stone. I always enjoyed his poems about the cold, cold north, especially The Cremation of Sam McGee.
