12 Ways to Manage Heat When There’s No Air Conditioning

There are times when the heat becomes unbearable, and we start looking for the AC remote to cool down. But it’s not the only remedy, and sometimes, you have to use different methods we’re going to tell you about today.

The CHEERY team wishes that you always feel comfortable in all areas of your life, and right now, you can find out what to do if the sun is not very friendly.

Do sports.

You can prepare for the hot season in advance. According to Canadian scientists, regular exercises are a light version of heat stress, which allows the body to learn to handle heat later. Your resting core temperature decreases.

But don’t work too hard. Make a list of activities taking all the factors into consideration, such as where the training takes place, and how you feel, in order not to damage your health.

Use portable fans.

Technology makes our lives better, and now we can carry fans with us. A study you can find in The Lancet shows that in most cases, our body temperature really decreases thanks to fans. Of course, portable fans are less effective, but they still bring relief. Even a light breeze can help.

But there are some contradictions. A fan can make the situation worse if it’s used by elderly people and/or people with sweating problems, and also when a fan is used in regions with extreme temperatures (116 °F and more) and 10% humidity. If there are no contradictions, take a fan with you and enjoy.

Take warm showers instead of cold ones.

No matter how many good things you hear about cold showers when it’s hot, science doesn’t agree. Yes, you can feel better at the beginning. But the thing is, the blood flow in the skin reduces due to cold water and more heat is retained inside the body. So, the overall temperature increases. Therefore, the perfect water temperature is 90 °F.

Dip your forearms in water.

Studies show that dipping forearms in water is one of the best ways to reduce body temperature. This was tested in conditions when people were doing very intense physical activity, so it’s perfect for everyday life. Especially, when you can’t take a shower.

Wear loose clothes from light fabrics.

Sweating is our friend, but it may also become an enemy if the liquid doesn’t evaporate. This is why it’s better to wear clothes from light fabrics, such as cotton. Studies show that it’s among the best materials for evaporation, even though it’s hard to iron.

Turn off the devices you don’t need.

We’re surrounded with a lot of devices that are generating heat. So, turning them off, or at least enabling the sleep mode will help. Maybe, not a lot, but it’s still a difference.

Go to “green areas.”

No, you don’t have to live in the forest. Just go somewhere where there’s more vegetation, a park, or just out of town. There, it’s always cooler because of the shade and the humidity from the plants. In the US, there are recommendations on how to plant trees to help reduce the temperature in hot regions.

Make sure you have enough electrolytes if you have to spend a lot of time in the sun.

Excessive sweating may lead to a loss of electrolytes that take part in transmitting signals through the nervous system, and also regulate the blood pressure. A loss of electrolytes may result in heat crams and other negative consequences. And, when it’s hot, especially if we are busy, it’s easy not to notice that we’re losing a lot of water.

To avoid this, eat foods with a high concentration of electrolytes, such as bananas, peanuts, milk, and others. But don’t eat too much, your norm should be determined individually by a specialist.

Wear clothes with cooling systems.

Yes, you read it right. There are hundreds of pages of such products in online-stores. You can find anything — from simple vests with pockets for ice, to jackets with complex conditioning systems. It sounds great, but of course, read reviews carefully to make sure there is no danger for your health.

Use cold washrags.

If you can’t take a shower, washrags (or ice packs) can help a lot. It’s better to put them on the wrists and neck. These are the areas where the blood vessels are close to the skin, and to cool them down will make you feel better quickly.

Either cook in the morning, or outside.

Of course, you don’t want to spend your morning cooking, especially on the weekend. But most kitchen devices generate an incredible amount of heat, so it’s better to finish all your cooking activities before it’s too hot, or make a picnic outside (in the shade).

Wear hats that cover your face.

You want to buy a cool hat? This is a good idea, because according to scientists, a lot of blood vessels are in the face. Being in a hot environment for a long time may expand and damage them, so it’s important to keep your head in the shade. Besides, you will look cool in a hat.

What do you do when it’s really hot?