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Do you know you can help prevent and treat heat stroke and heat stress with outdoor cooling?
We usually think of keeping cool outdoors as a matter of comfort, even luxury, and forget the importance of being cool to health and safety. But getting overheated can cause heat stress — heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke.
When heat stress occurs, the most important thing to do is to cool down the body. Outdoor cooling can help prevent these effects of the heat in the first place by offering a cool place to rest and escape the heat.
Any outdoor cooling solution will help. Simple outdoor shades are great because the shade actually gets you out of the source of heat — the sun. Outdoor fans can help cool our bodies, especially when combined with shade and / or misting systems.
When the more serious stages of a heat illness strike, you'll want the extra cooling power of a portable air conditioner. In fact, air conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Young children, those over 65, and those who are ill or overweight are the most at risk for heat stroke and heat stress. Keep an eye especially on them for these signs of heat-related illnesses.
Muscle cramps are one of the first stages of heat stress.
The signs of heat exhaustion, a more serious stage of heat stress, include headache, dizziness, nausea and moist, pale skin.
The worst stage of heat stress is called heat stroke, sun stroke or "sunstroke". It is life-threatening. It can strike anyone suddenly. From athletes, to construction workers, to home gardeners to someone simply walking in the park.
Keep any eye on those you care about. Give them something cool to drink. Give them a cool place to rest and relax.
You can be assured the cool place you create will be valuable for health as well as comfort.
For more information, go to the official Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This link takes you directly to their page on heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician.
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