Ideas for beating the Summer Heat

Ideas for beating the Heat During the Dog Days of Summer

1. Pick cooler times of the day to job or do outdoor activities
2. Wear loose-fitting, light color, clothing. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.
3. Fans can make you feel cooler even in an air-conditioned house but fans are not effective at 90 and above.
4. Store lotions in the refrigerator to use on hot, overtired feet. Soak feet in cold water.
5. Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; you'll get icy cold water to drink as they melt
6. Take a cool bath or shower or go swimming
7. Water also helps by wetting your hat or hair or shirt.
8. Drink plenty of water along with sports drinks or other sources of electrolytes. Don't wait to be thirsty to drink.
9. Use a portable, battery-powered fan. Some include a water bottle for misting.
10. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.
11. Instead of hot foods, enjoy lighter, more frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or dairy products.
12. Pay special attention to the elderly, infants, anyone with a chronic illness, and pets during extreme heat.
13. During cool times of day/night open windows and doors with screens to bring the house temperature down. During the day close up your house and draw blinds and drapes to keep out the sun.
14. Sit in the lowest part of your house where it's coolest 

Would you take shelter inside an animal?

Sleeping bag

"This may smell bad, kid, but it'll keep you warm until I get the shelter up... Ugh. And I thought they smelled bad on the outside."
-Han Solo, The Empire Strike Back

Continuing the topic of off-beat ways to stay warm, StraightDope.com was recently asked, "What’s the best animal to slice open and crawl inside to stay warm?" In Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is put inside a freshly killed tauntaun to avoid freezing on the ice planet Hoth. Would this work in real life?

Cecil Adams first offers some silly answers,

"taking shelter inside dead animals can’t really be considered an affordable housing option ... Many large warm-blooded critters would do, such as a bear, water buffalo, or rhinoceros. Historically, however, the emergency refuge of choice was a horse. ... Slice one open even in case of dire necessity and you’re likely to hear from one PO’d little girl or dressage buff. Cows are less of an issue, but you still take the chance of having PETA come over and picket your house."

Then he gets serious,

"I could find only one case where someone had actually climbed into an animal to survive the cold as opposed to trying to get on TV, namely an intrepid pioneer priest named Father Goiffon. [He became lost in North Dakota in a snowy November]  When his horse finally died, the enterprising priest cut open its belly and crawled inside the carcass. He was mostly successful — his equine sleeping bag saved his life, but he lost his leg due to frostbite."

Bottom Line

Cecil concludes with an example that also sheds some light on my question from a few days ago, when does cold weather became too dangerous to endure?

How much time would sheltering in a deceased animal buy you? Assuming a bitterly cold day (9 degrees Fahrenheit), a stiff wind (12 miles per hour) [about -5 wind chill], and a 500-kilogram cow with half its insides scooped out, and factoring in the heat produced by the resident human, my assistant Una estimates the cow’s body would lose about 3 degrees per hour. She concludes you’d have right around 15 hours, best case, before hypothermia set in.

It's Hot, Hot, Hot

“Some people change their ways when they see the light;
others when they feel the heat”

- Caroline Schoeder

What is the deadliest type of natural disaster? A supernova as pictured yesterday would top the list by frying the entire planet but we should be safe from that for several billion years. Other obvious candidates include hurricanes, massive earthquakes, and tidal waves. Hurricane Katrina may have killed 1700 people directly with a total of 4000 deaths if you include secondary causes. And yet according to a new book called "Hot Time in the Old Town" by professor Edward P. Kohn, the deadliest type of natural disaster in America is heat waves.

"We all enjoyed pictures of children playing in fountains and eating ice cream.  To the media, a heat wave means a holiday.  This obscures the sinister fact that heat waves are this country’s number one natural disaster killer. On average, heat kills more Americans than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. "

This summer Russian had a terrible heat wave that caused forest fires and burned wheat fields. American TV showed pictures of a smoke-choked Moscow but news agencies failed to mention the death count. The Moscow city government reported a doubling of deaths during the heat wave; every day three hundred additional people died over a period of  several weeks. This quickly adds up to a catastrophe.

The 1896 heat wave in New York City killed as many as thirteen hundred people who literally roasted to death in brick buildings. The media and the government basically ignored the emergency. The one person who took action was a young Theodore Roosevelt, President of the Board of Police Commissioners, who distributed free ice to the poor. No one learned anything from this and history continued to repeat itself. In 1972 as many as nine hundred people died during a New York heat wave.  The 1995 Chicago heat wave killed seven hundred, while a 2003 European heat wave killed over 50,000.

Bottom Line

Perhaps it was the 2003 European disaster that finally convinced cities to take heat waves seriously.

Today, most cities have heat wave response plans in place even before summer arrives.  Emergency cooling centers are set up in local community centers, and officials check on the elderly and chronically ill through phone calls and home visits. 

For more information on the risks of extreme heat check out these prior blog posts:

2009/07/greenhouse-effect-in-cars
2009/07/exercising-on-hot-days
2009/07/extreme-heat
2008/08/heat-exhaustion
2008/08/hyperthermia   (note: hyper not hypo)

The Greenhouse Effect in Cars

"Every dog has his day - but the nights are reserved for the cats" - unknown

Have you ever visited a green house and been amazed at how warm it was inside? Light waves, in particular short-wave infrared, penetrate the glass, get absorbed by objects inside and radiated back as heat (long-wave infrared). The heat waves can not penetrate the glass, so the temperature goes up inside.

Have you ever considered that your car is also a greenhouse? Each year about 40 children in the US die inside hot cars. Hundreds of dogs are literally cooked to death.

The typical excuse of parents is, “I only ran in for a second, I wasn't going to be long.” On a 78 degree day, a car parked in the shade can quickly exceed 90 degrees. A car parked in the sun can hit a scorching 160 degrees. It only about 10-15 minutes, for a child or pet left inside a hot car to suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke or death.

Rolling down a window doesn't guarantee protection since temperatures can still climb into the danger zone. And if the window is rolled down sufficiently, your pet may escape from the car. If your window is open and a passer-by claims he or she was bitten through the car window, you will be liable for a lawsuit. [Paw-rescue.org]

Some people leave the car running with the A/C blowing to keep pets cool while they’re away. Overlooking the chance of car jacking, this is still dangerous. In 2003, a police dog in Texas died after the air-conditioning in the patrol car shut down because the engine got too hot. The car automatically switched to blowing hot air to save the engine.

Bottom Line

Leaving children and pets unattended inside a car is a crime in most states. Don’t do it.

Sometimes children become trapped inside cars when playing or decide to sleep in the car. Always lock car doors and trunks and keep keys out of children's reach.

If your pet show signs of heat exhaustion - restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination - move the pet into the shade, an air conditioned area, or to the vet. Lower body temperature gradually by giving the animal water to drink. Place a cold towel or ice pack on the head, neck and chest, and/or immerse dogs in cool (not cold) water.
www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HotCars.php

Exercising on Hot Days

“Laughter is as good as jogging for our heart, lungs, and brain” - unknown

Exercising in hot weather can be dangerous for your and your dog.

Pets need exercise, but on very hot days it is best to limit walks or exercise to early morning or evening hours when it’s cooler. Hot asphalt and beach sand can burn pet paws. Pets can get sunburned too, and may require sunscreen on their nose and ear tips.

With people, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration are real possibilities when the temperature is greater than 70 degrees with humidity of 70% and above. High humidity means sweat doesn't evaporate very well because the air is already saturated with moisture. So you're losing fluids but not cooling down.

1. Stay hydrated. Take a drink every 15 minutes when exercising and consider a sports drink like Gatorade to replace lost salts and electrolytes.

2. Avoid the peak heat between 10am and 3pm.

3. Dress in light, comfortable clothes in light colors

4. Know the symptoms of heat illness: headache, nausea, dizziness, and light-headedness. Stop your fitness workout routine immediately, start replacing fluid, and find shade or spray your body with cool water.
Signs of heat stroke include confusion, rapid pulse, difficultly breathing, and dry skin with no sweat. If you suspect heat stroke, it's important to seek medical attention immediately as this can be a life threatening.

5. Wear sunscreen.

6. Cut yourself a little slack on extra hot days. This is NOT the time to maximize your workout. The good news is that you’ll be burning extra calories just coping with the heat.

7. When the temperature hits 80 with humidity consider moving your workout to an air-conditioned mall or gym. An increase in your body’s core temperature reduces the endurance capacity of your muscles.

8. If you insist on working out outdoors, build up to it slowly with short workouts in the heat for two weeks before your body is ready for the full routine.

9. Train with other people when it’s extra hot. Remember confusion is a symptom of heat stroke so a friend may notice if you’re in trouble, even if you don’t.

Bottom Line

If you live in a city, high heat can also mean poor air quality with ozone or smog. Long term exposure to smog can reduce the immune system's ability to fight off respiratory infections and can damage lung cells.

See Also
http://www.hss.edu/conditions_14593.asp/
www.50plus.com/Health/Fitness/index.cfm?documentID=21577
www.bukisa.com/articles/84831_how-to-exercise-in-hot-weather

Extreme Heat

“Some people change their ways when they see the light; others when they feel the heat”-Caroline Schoeder

My friends and colleagues in New York have been grumbling about the lack of “summer”. We’ve had weeks of rainy days and cool temperatures with rare glimpses of sun. So it was somewhat shocking to have a “hot” day earlier this week with 91 Fahrenheit.

Some may adore summer heat but it is also a potential killer (175 Americans die of heat exposure in a normal year. 1,250 died in the heat wave of 1980.) With extreme cold you can protect yourself with layers of coats, gloves, scarves, etc. But you can only strip so far (without getting arrested) in extreme heat. Here are some recommendations to avoid Dehydration, Heat Exhaustion, and Hyperthermia(Heat Stroke).

• Stay hydrated by drinking more fluids
  This is not as easy as it sounds. First off, fluids with caffeine, alcohol, or sugar will dry you out. So this eliminates ice coffee, ice teas (unless herbal), most sodas, and all alcoholic drinks. Second, the drink should not be icy cold – this can cause stomach cramps. Third, you need to remember to drink regularly even if not thirsty. Forth, your doctor may place a limit on how much you may drink; for example if you’re taking water pills to lower your blood pressure.
  
• Find cool places to hang out
  If you don’t have an air conditioner then seek out other “cool” places during extreme heat. My wife and I will go grocery shopping and linger in the frozen food aisles examining all products closely. We’ll get some exercise walking in an air-conditioned mall. Or catch up on magazine reading at our library. Or eat out (we immediately walked out of one restaurant when we realized their A/C was broke). Or go for a long drive in our air-conditioned car. During heat emergencies the Red Cross may open “cool” down shelters that you can sleep at. Electric fans won’t help when the air is hotter than your body (98.6 F). When the air is high 90 and above you’re just blowing heat at your body and making things worse.
  
• Take precautions when outside
  Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Wear sunscreen and seek out shade. Move slowly and stop frequently to rest and cool down.

Bottom Line

Be creative when the going gets hot. Take cold showers or baths. I like to wrap up an ice cube and apply it to the back of my neck letting the melt water run down my back. Wet your hair or shirt or a hat. Stay out of the sun as much as possible.

Recommended Links:

www.sanjoseca.gov/pdf/HeatAlert07/Heat_Wave_Safety_Tips.pdf
www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp
For Athletes: www.athleticadvisor.com/Injuries/General_Inj/heat_safety_tips.htm

The Art of Fire Starting

Buttercup: "That's the fire swamp! We'll never survive!"
Wesley: "Nonsense! You're only saying that because no one ever has.”
-The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Sometimes you just have to start a fire without matches. Perhaps your single engine plane goes down while you’re flying over the Alaskan wilderness or you lose your backpack in a tussle with a bear. Or it can be as undramatic as an extremely windy or wet day which render your matches virtually useless.

For detailed descriptions of the methods below check out 9 Ways To Start a Fire Without Matches

Friction Based Fire Making

• The Hand Drill fire method is not for the faint of heart. It’s probably the most difficult of all the non-match based methods. It requires bone dry wood, tireless hands, and gritty determination. It can take 15 minutes or more to build up enough heat.
• With the Fire Plough technique you cut a groove in a plank and rub a sturdy stick up and down the grove to create enough heat to ignite some tinder.
• The Bow Drill is a variant of the Hand Drill. The spindle stick is attached to a bow like device for faster and easier spinning. It is harder to set-up but easier to create the spark.
  Flint and Steel It’s always a good idea to carry around a good flint and steel set with you on a camping trip. They will work when wet.

Lens Methods

• On a sunny day you can focus the energy of the sun with a magnifying glass, eyeglasses, or binocular lenses. You can intensify the beam by adding some water to the lens. Angle the lens towards the sun in order to focus the beam into as small an area as possible. Put your tinder nest under this hot spot to ignite.
  Note: reading lens or far sighted eye glasses will work. Near sighted lens won't focus light in a point.
• You can create emergency lenses from a water filled balloon or condom. Keep the size small so you can manipulate the water lens to be as round as possible. The focal length is very short, you'll need to put the lens just 1 to 2 inches from the tinder.
• You can also carve a lens from clear ice with a knife. The ice must be perfectly clear, about 2 inches thick in the center with tapering edges. Polish the surface of your ice lens with the heat from your hands.
• Coke can lens. Polish the bottom of a soda can with chocolate, toothpaste, or ash to make it super shiny. Tilt the bottom of the can towards the sun and place your tinder about one inch away to light it.

Batteries and Steel Wool

• You can ignite steel wool but stretching it out and then connecting it to both ends of a battery. A 9-volt battery works well for this.
• Another battery solution: if you are in a broken down car your car's battery and or alternator can make a ton of hot sparks by causing an arc. Even a “dead” car battery will spark.

Bottom Line

Creating a spark, while vital, does not a fire make. You also need tinder that will ignite easily and hold the flame long enough for you to pile on small twigs to grow the fire. Excellent natural choices for tinder include tree sap, dry leaves, grass, pine cones, moss, and fungus. Man-made tinder includes charcloth or other fire starter products that you should carry in your survival kit. One survivalist recommends coating cotton balls with some petroleum jelly. Another person recommends soaking your tinder with an alcohol based bug repellent or hand cleanser to help it light. Dryer lint makes good tinder and I'm told you can light snack food like Cheetos and pringles chips.

Dehydration

“Dig your well before you are thirsty.” - Proverb

The third rule in the Rule of Threes is that you can survive only three days without water. Recall that the rule for shelter was just three hours. Ideally a good shelter will also provide water nearby. If you become weak or ill in the wilderness, you don't want a long or difficult hike to water. It may be necessary to build a few temporary shelters before finding the perfect location. Future posts will cover ways to find water and how to make water traps to catch dew and rain water.

The human body is 75% water which is constantly being depleted by breathing, sweating, menstruation, digestion and urination. Dehydration occurs when you consume/drink less fluid then you emit. Mild dehydration begins when you lose about 2% of your body water. For a 200 pound person this is 3 lbs of water or 1.5 quarts. Fluid loss can be quite rapid with vomiting and diarrhea - two possible symptoms if you're eating strange plants when lost. It is far better to remain hungry than to acquire food poisoning wilderness.

Environment and Water Needs

Surprisingly, very cold environments can be as dry as the driest desert. Cold air cannot hold much moisture; it drys your body with every breath you take. Cold dry air also robs your body of moisture from exposed skin - for example: chapped lips. You may become severely dehydrated without even realizing the danger you are in.

Wind also play a role in dehydration. A dry wind on exposed flesh can suck the water right out of a person. The remains of mummified animals and people are often found in desert regions, their bodies totally dried out.

Symptoms
See http://www.symptomsofdehydration.com/ for a detailed list of symptoms at increasing stages of dehydration. Muscle cramps can occur with 5% loss of body fluids. Dehydration becomes deadly at 10% fluid loss with seizures and loss of consciousness.
If the patient becomes confused or lethargic; if there is persistent, uncontrolled fever, vomiting, or diarrhea; contact a doctor.

Treatment

• Drinking fluids is usually sufficient for mild dehydration. It is better to have frequent, small amounts of fluid (using a teaspoon for an infant or child). Drinking too much fluid at once can bring on vomiting.
• Electrolyte solutions or freezer pops are especially effective. These are available at pharmacies. Consider also clear broths and jello. Sport drinks contain a lot of sugar and can cause or worsen diarrhea. For infants and children, avoid using water as the primary replacement fluid.
• Intravenous fluids and hospitalization may be necessary for moderate to severe dehydration. The doctor will try to identify and then treat the cause of the dehydration.

The Mayo Clinic has recommendations on preventing dehydration.

Bottom Line
As discussed in the last two posts, dehydration increases the risk of Heat Stroke in hot/humid weather. Heat Stroke will kill you faster than dehydration - hence the importance of establishing shelter before water. Don't kill yourself searching for water.

Additional Sources
http://www.medicinenet.com/dehydration/article.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000982.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dehydration/DS00561

Heat Exhaustion

"It's too darn hot..." - Cole Porter song "Too Darn Hot"

Yesterday's post focused mostly on Heat Stroke, the deadly stage of heat related illnesses. Today I'd like to spend more time on Heat Exhaustion and how to treat it. Hopefully you'll spot Heat Exhaustion when it occurs and prevent it from progressing to Heat Stroke.

Recognizing Heat Exhaustion
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:

• heavy sweating
• paleness
• muscle cramps
• tiredness or weakness
• dizziness or headache
• dark urine
• fast heartbeat
• nausea or vomiting (call 911)
• fainting (call 911)

Treatment for Heat Exhaustion
Help the victim to cool off with:

• Cool, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated, beverages.
• Cool shower, bath, or sponge bath. Outdoors: Gently spray with a hose.
• Get to an air-conditioned environment. At the very least find shade.
• Rest, lie down with feet slightly elevated.

Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 30 minutes. If fever greater than 102 F (38.9 C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance.

Having heat exhaustion or heatstroke makes you more sensitive to hot conditions for about a week afterwards.

Bottom Line
If you lead or manage outdoor activities, memorize the symptoms and treatment for Heat Exhaustion so you can spot it and respond quickly. If you're a scout leader, sports coach, work crew chief, hiking guide, tour guide - this means you!

Sources
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heat-exhaustion
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/basics/088.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/heat_exhaustion/article.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-heat-exhaustion/FA00020

Hyperthermia (Heat Stroke)

"I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath" - Aesop (620 BC - 560 BC), The Man and the Satyr

Hyperthermia (too much internal body heat) is the opposite of Hypothermia. The early stage is more commonly called Heat Exhaustion (up to 104°F), the advanced, life threatening, stage is Heat Stroke (105°F and above). Heat Stroke can permanently damage the brain and internal organs.

Under normal conditions the body can sweat away and radiate away the heat we produce inside. When the air temperature is higher than your body temperature (98.6 degrees) heat radiation is greatly impacted. You can also be affected by lower air temperature if you're exercising or exerting yourself vigorously and generating heat faster than the body can shed it. Both high humidity and dehydration can reduce the ability to sweat effectively. (Hence the importance of drinking fluids.) Antihistamines and certain types of medication for high blood pressure or depression can increase the risk of over heating. Tea, coffee, soda and alcohol can lead to dehydration and should be avoided when heat illness is likely.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

• hot, DRY skin that is flushed but NOT sweaty
• a high body temperature
• rapid heart beat (flutter)
• headache or dizziness
• disorientation, agitation or confusion
• hallucinations
• sluggishness or fatigue
• seizure
• loss of consciousness or coma
• death

Note: some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning. Symptoms may differ per individual.

The symptoms for Heat Exhaustion are quite similar to Heat Stroke with one vital exception: with Heat Exhaustion the body is sweating profusely. If sweating stops, it's Heat Stroke - seek medical care immediately. If a person with Heat Exhaustion is unable to drink or vomiting back the fluids, call for medical help.

How to treat Heat Stroke
Heat stroke can cause permanent damage or death. Call 911 and apply these first aid measures while waiting for help to arrive:

• Get the person indoors
• Have the person lie down in a cool area with their feet slightly elevated (to prevent shock)
• Remove clothing and gently apply cool water to the skin followed by fanning to stimulate sweating. Do NOT use an alcohol rub.
• Apply ice packs to the groin and armpits
• If the person is able to drink without vomiting or choking, give cool fluids such as water or sports drinks (but not anything caffeinated)

Intravenous fluids are often necessary to compensate for fluid or electrolyte loss. Bed rest is generally advised and body temperature may fluctuate abnormally for weeks after heat stroke.

Bottom Line

Take precautions when exposed to prolonged hot and/or humid conditions.

1. Drink plenty of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic, fluids
2. Wear loose, lightly-colored clothing
3. Wear a hat or use an umbrella
4. Take frequent breaks to cool down and drink
5. Mist yourself with a water spray or wear a wet hat or wet shirt
6. If sweating heavily you'll want to refresh your electrolytes (such as sodium). Eat a cracker or consume a sports drink
7. Have a shelter you can retreat to for shade

The Importance of Shelter

All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space. -Philip Johnson

Unless you're an expert breath holder, most people have no problem accepting the 1st Survival Rule of Three - find air within 3 minutes. However I've seen lots of misunderstanding over the second Rule of Three - find shelter within 3 hours. One commenter on a different blog pointed out that he frequently spends more than 3 hours at the beach with no difficulty.

However, the beach goer did have shelter - if the sun became too hot he could retire to his car or his house. When far from civilization, you should establish a shelter within the first few hours to keep dry or become dry, to stay out of the wind, and to find warmth or shade BEFORE weather conditions turn fatal. For hikers, shelter may be a tent they carry on their backs. It could be your car, a cave, a cabin, etc. Here are some links on creating your own emergency shelter:

http://www.abc-of-hiking.com/hiking-tents/outdoor-shelters.asp
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Outdoor_Survival/Shelter
http://www.essortment.com/all/howdoyoumake_rkdt.htm
http://outdoorsurvival.org/quick-emergency-shelter

Bottom Line

Provide a shelter BEFORE you need it. While a shelter may be a place to keep "your stuff" (George Carlin) its real value is to maintain your body temperature under adverse conditions - too much heat leads to heat stroke, too little heat causes hypothermia.

Tomorrow's topic will cover hypothermia.

Rule of Threes

The first step in emergency preparedness is knowing where to start. What is most important?
Fortunately this is answered by the Survival Rule of Threes:

An average person can survive:

3 minutes without air

3 hours without shelter in harsh conditions of cold or heat

3 days without water

3 weeks without food

This is best illustrated by a story. A friend of a friend died in his car during a blizzard. He had pulled over to the side to avoid being hit or causing an accident and kept the car running to keep warm. However the snow piled up and buried the exhaust pipe causing the car to fill with Carbon Monoxide fumes - a silent killer. This person forgot that fresh air trumps heat for survival. This is also one of the reasons you see warnings not to use cooking stoves inside a tent.

A second example: if you're lost in the wilderness with dry food but no water - don't eat the food! Digesting food uses up moisture inside the body. It is better to go hungry than to become dehydrated.

Here are two other sites discussing the Rule of Threes:
Outdoor Skills
Survival Topics