When temperatures rise so high that simply existing outside feels unbearable, it’s only natural to seek out ways to cool down.
Heat illnesses can occur when your body is unable to successfully return to its baseline temperature. Excessive heat can cause fatigue, nausea, and dizziness, as well as heat cramps, heat rashes, and even heat stroke, which can result when the body’s temperature spikes rapidly and can lead to nausea, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
In short, extreme heat can pose real health risks—and so can some of the followingmisconceptions about how to handle it. Fortunately, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can help you combat intense heat while avoiding any of the risks that might come along with some of these false beliefs.
Myth: Drinking water is all you need to stay safe from a heat illness
Unfortunately, water may not be all you need to combat prolonged exposure to extreme heat.
Water is typically totally sufficient for staying hydrated, even in high temperatures, but it may not always be able to sufficiently replace the sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals lost during periods of extreme heat and intense sweating.
During and after exposure to these conditions, it can be a good idea to focus on replenishing your electrolytes in addition to rehydrating. This can be done by drinking naturally electrolyte-rich beverages like coconut water, or by using oral rehydration salts and other similar products designed to restore balance within your body.
Experts do warn that drinking extremely large quantities of fluids can pose dangers of its own by diluting the salt that remains in the body. The amount of water one’s body can handle is different for everyone, but according to the Cleveland Clinic, some people can begin to show symptoms of water intoxication after drinking a gallon of water in the span of an hour or two.
That doesn’t mean you should avoid water during a heat wave by any means, though. Most experts recommend increasing the amount of water you drink when it’s hot. If you know a heat wave is coming, it’s also a good idea to start hydrating before it begins or before you feel thirsty, so you can get ahead of any possible dehydration.
Myth: Salt tablets can rehydrate you
One thing to avoid while rehydrating during a heat wave: salt tablets. Some people claim that ingesting pure salt can help replenish sodium lost during bouts of sweating, but this is a misconception “can have some pretty severe side effects,” physician Dr. Karla Robinson told WCNC.
It’s best to avoid this method unless your doctor suggests it and stick to rehydration salts and other supplements specifically designed to help you rehydrate.
Myth: Cool showers help you cool down
There’s nothing like a cool shower during a heat wave—but unfortunately, the short-lived relief this can provide might actually be backfiring.
Our bodies are extremely intelligent machines that are equipped with cooling mechanisms of their own. Heat causes blood vessels to expand and move closer to the relatively cooler surface of the skin where they can release heat more easily, but cold water causes them to contract.
A cold shower might feel great, but unfortunately, sudden exposure to the cold can signal to your body that it’s time to conserve heat, which can result in blood vessels trapping heat in your body. This could potentially lead to a higher overall internal temperature despite the surface of your skin feeling cooler temporarily.
On the other hand, a hot shower on a hot day won’t help, either, as the hot water is likely to heat up your body even more overall.
The sweet spot? A lukewarm bath or shower, which can encourage the body to bring blood vessels to the surface to cool while avoiding signaling to the body that it’s time to put up its defenses against an imagined cold front.
Myth: It’s always better to stay indoors during a heat wave
It can be tempting to assume that staying inside might be the best way to wait out a heat wave, and indeed, that’s true if you’re able to blast air conditioning all day. But due to rising energy costs, a lack of air conditioning, or other factors, that may not always be possible.
It’s definitely always best to seek out air conditioning if possible during a severe heat wave, whether that’s at a local library, supermarket, or mall. If you live in an apartment, it may be best to stay on the lowest level to avoid the consequences of rising heat.
However, sometimes going outside into a shady park or well-ventilated area can be preferable—and cooler—than staying inside a stuffy, upper-level apartment. If you are staying inside, experts say it’s a good idea to keep your windows closed during the day to prevent hot air from getting in. Opening the windows is generally most helpful at night, when temperatures are most likely to be cooler outside than in.
Myth: Someone experiencing a heat stroke won’t sweat
Some people experiencing a heat stroke do indeed stop sweating, particularly if the issue is exacerbated by severe dehydration. But the idea that sweating and heat strokes are mutually exclusive is a myth. According to the CDC, heat stroke can also cause excessive sweating.
Heat strokes can often be recognized by confusion, seizures, difficulty breathing, nausea, or sometimes unconsciousness. If someone you know is experiencing this, it’s best to call 911 immediately. The next step is to try to get the person experiencing the issue cool, ideally with cold water or an ice bath, or by wetting their skin with cool water or soaking their clothes.