Tips for preventing heatstroke during the “dog days”

I believe everyone has some knowledge about the dog days. The dog days is a term we Chinese use. The dog days occur between Lesser Heat and Beginning of Autumn. The weather in the dog days is very hot and humid. There are many aspects that we need to pay special attention to during the dog days. The most important thing we need to do during the dog days is to prevent heatstroke, but we still lack some common sense about how to prevent heatstroke during the dog days.

To prevent heatstroke during the dog days, we need to follow certain principles. To prevent heatstroke during the dog days, we need to be careful not to drink too much, drink more boiled water and do less outdoor exercise during the day. In addition, the nap time should not be too long during the dog days.

1. In summer, it is not recommended to engage in strenuous activities such as mountain climbing outdoors during the day. It is recommended to choose sports activities such as swimming, jogging in the morning and evening.

2. Drink more boiled water and drink water at regular times. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink. It is not advisable to drink too much after you are thirsty. You should drink less fruit juice, soda and other beverages, which contain more saccharin and electrolytes. Drinking too much will have adverse stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract and affect digestion and appetite.

3. Avoid drinking excessively. The human body is easily affected by the temperature in the summer and accumulates dampness and heat. Excessive dampness and heat are the cause of skin sores, carbuncles and swellings. Drinking a lot of white wine will increase heat and dampness, which is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire.

4. The diet should not be too light. In summer, people spend long periods of time on activities, sweat a lot, and consume a lot of energy. Therefore, they should eat more nutritious foods such as chicken, duck, lean meat, fish, eggs, etc. to meet the body's metabolic needs. Summer seasonal vegetables, such as lettuce, cucumber, tomato, etc. have a higher water content; fresh fruits, such as peaches, apricots, watermelon, melon, etc. have a water content of 80 to 90% and can be used to replenish water.

5. The nap time should not be too long. If you nap too long, your central nervous system will be more deeply inhibited, and the relative decrease in blood flow to the brain will slow down the metabolic process, causing general discomfort and increased sleepiness after waking up.

6. Avoid “rapid cooling” after heating. In the hot summer, when people go out or come back from work, they like to either turn on the fan or take a cold shower immediately. This will cause the pores all over the body to close quickly, making it difficult for the heat in the body to dissipate. It will also cause insufficient blood supply to the brain due to rapid contraction of blood vessels in the brain, making people dizzy.

7. The temperature difference between indoor and outdoor of the air conditioner should not be too large. When using air conditioning, the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor should not exceed 5 degrees. Even in hot weather, the indoor temperature of the air-conditioned room should not be lower than 24 degrees.

8. Do not wear metal jewelry. Some metals in metal decorations are stained with sweat and the skin they come into contact with may experience symptoms such as slight redness or itching, which can easily lead to contact dermatitis.

9. Remember to bring sun protection equipment when going out in the summer. It is best not to walk under the scorching sun between 10 am and 4 pm. If you must go out at this time, be sure to take protective measures, such as holding a parasol, wearing a sun hat, wearing sunglasses, and it is best to apply sunscreen.

10. Maintaining a regular daily routine, not staying up late often, and ensuring adequate sleep are also effective measures to prevent heatstroke. Be careful not to lie under the air conditioner outlet or electric fan when sleeping.

11. When going out, you should carry anti-heat and cooling medicines with you, such as Shi Di Shui, Ren Dan, Feng You Jing, etc., in case of emergency.

Above we introduced what the dog days are. We know that we need to pay special attention to our physical health during the dog days, because the temperature during the dog days is very high, the weather is hot and humid, and we must be especially careful about heatstroke during the dog days, so we introduced in detail some tips on how to prevent heatstroke during the dog days above.