It’s a hot mid-summer, and the weather is only getting hotter. August is the month with the most heat related illnesses. This includes: heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat rash, sunburn, and heat cramps. High body temperatures from the heat can lead to problems in the brain, seizures, extreme dehydration, passing out, and severe burns on the skin.

Here are some Tips on How to avoid heat rash and other heat-related illnesses:

Wear Loose Clothing

Wearing loose clothing will reduce trapping in body heat, resulting in your body temperature decreasing. Staying away from skin-tight clothes and opting for loose fitting shirts and pants, allows air to flow through to your body.

Try to Keep Cool Indoors

Stay in areas with air conditioning (AC) systems to help regulate your natural body temperature. Electric fans are not beneficial if the temperature is in the high 90s. If your home doesn’t have AC, then consider going to a local mall or a public library to help you cool down before returning to the heat. A simple way to minimize the symptoms of a heat related illness is to take a cold shower or bath, as it will drop your body temperature significantly reducing the risk of adverse heat rash. Additionally, keeping the stove and oven use to a minimum during the day will keep your home as cool as possible.

Morning and Evening Activities

Participate in outdoor activities when the weather is the coolest, like the early morning hours or in the evening, after sunset. To avoid developing a heat related illness, don’t go out for a run or hike when the sun is the hottest.

Stay Hydrated

Drink, drink, drink lots of water throughout the day to offset the water loss from the heat, usually released as sweat. Stay away from sugary or alcoholic drinks which can dehydrate you more. Common heat exhaustion symptoms include passing out episodes, usually caused by dehydration. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times!

Avoid Hot or Heavy Meals

Appetite and internal body temperature can fluctuate based on environmental temperatures. It is wise to avoid heavy or hot meals when it is hot outside because it can make you even hotter by adding more heat to your body! Naturally, food intake alone creates heat as it is allowing energy to be stored for future use — commonly referred to as digestion.

Do NOT leave any Children or Animals in the Car

Leaving children or animals even with a window cracked open in a motorized vehicle is unacceptable. The temperature can get as high as 114 degrees in less than 10 minutes without air conditioning. Infants and children are at high risk of dying from heat stroke or developing heat rash symptoms, even for the few minutes the car is turned off. Please make sure the kids are out of the car and taken to a cooler place!

Stop wondering what causes heat rash by implementing these preventative measures — stay safe and have a COOL summer!

About the Author

Lucy Pun is a board-certified family physician offering direct primary care, as it allows her to develop valuable relationships and spend quality time with her patients. Passionate about education, empowerment of individual patient needs, and general medicine, she continually pursues helping individuals be in charge of their own health. With a history of being the medical caretaker of her family and working in child development previous to residency, she enjoys assisting patients of all ages.

Lucy received her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences and completed her residency at PIH Health Hospital in Downey. As a board-certified physician in Family Medicine, Lucy prides herself in providing the best care to every patient she meets.