How to Not Melt into a Puddle over the Next Few Days

The next few days are set to be a scorcher. 35-38 degrees around the Goldy. Our fingers inch toward the air conditioner remotes just thinking about it.

In extreme temperatures, it’s important to know how to look after yourself properly, stay hydrated and keep cool. Young children and the elderly are especially susceptible to heat so make sure you follow the below steps to keep them as comfortable as possible.

STAY INSIDE IN AIR CONDITIONING/FANS

The most obvious method of staying cool – stay indoors and crank that air conditioner or turn your fans full force. The suns rays are harsh, and coupled with a strong hot breeze, can make a 30 degree day feel like a 35 degree day. Whether it’s your home or place of work, keep inside and keep the aircon on. On that note, we salute all the tradies that work outside in the heat, which is where our other preventative methods come in below.

STAY HYDRATED

If being outside is unavoidable (or even if you are lucky enough to be inside) drinking water steadily throughout the day helps immensely with avoiding dehydration. Take frequent breaks in any shade you can find. Normally, people need to ingest about 2L of water a day to keep their water and salt levels stabilised. In cases where you are sweating profusely, you could be losing more water than you are ingesting and need to up your intake.

If someone doesn’t manage their heat stress appropriately, they could start to exhibit signs of dehydration:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Feeling dizzy/headaches
• Confusion or irritability
• Fainting
• Very dark coloured urine

To help someone that is dehydrated, follow the below steps:

• Help the dehydrated person into the shade or a cooler area and get them to sit or lie down.
• Give them fluids or electrolyte drinks.
• Monitor closely to see if their breathing evens out and heartbeat slows down.
• If the above signs do not normalise, or if the patient loses consciousness, call 000 immediately and follow the instructions of paramedics.

PETS

We can’t forget about our furry friends in severe weather! If you need to leave your pet at home, make sure they have access to plenty of water for the day and also ample amounts of shade.

It’s always a good idea to ensure your at-home first aid kit is fully stocked, just in case, and that you are trained in first aid and CPR for any emergency situations that may arise.

Stay cool Gold Coast!