Hopman also recommends going outside for a walk, for example, instead of sitting near an air conditioner for a long time. “The body can adapt to the warmer conditions outside. You want to continue all summer. If you are indoors or by the air conditioning all day, no adjustment occurs. Then you keep puffing and lagging behind the facts.”
Because of the habituation outside you start sweating at a lower temperature and you therefore lose heat. The sweat is also slightly less salty, so that your blood remains saltier and you retain more water in your kidneys, explains the professor. “That’s how you retain the water instead of peeing it out.”
And speaking of pee, it’s a good sign if your urine stays light in color. “If it gets dark, for example the color of apple juice or even black tea, then you need to drink a lot more.” Drinking tea is also good in addition to drinking pure water.
keep eating
It’s actually best to do what you always do. If you are an athlete, do some exercise, says Hopman. It is also important to continue to eat. “Some people sometimes forget that. If you’re not hungry, eating less is fine, but if you don’t eat at all, you become faint. You don’t need extra salt.”
The heat poses a risk to the elderly. As with flu waves, more elderly people die in a heat period, especially if they have underlying conditions. “Their thirst stimulus is becoming less and less. So it is often not in their pattern to drink a lot. If their environment is not really aware of it, they often forget to drink extra.”
In addition, heat is a source of stress for the body. The heart has to pump harder, more blood has to go to the skin. “People with a weak heart can just cross the edge.” Fear of heat also increases stress, says Hopman. So try to keep a cool head.
–
