Extreme heat can be dangerous for all people, especially for children like you. It may lead to different conditions such as fainting, heat stroke, muscle cramps, and prickly heat. To avoid these conditions, you may observe the following practices to protect yourself from extreme heat:
- Avoid too much exposure to the sun’s heat, especially from ten o’clock in the morning to two o’clock in the afternoon when the sun’s rays are at their harshest. If you have to stay outdoors under the sun, wear sunblock or sunscreen on your skin. You may also put on a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella to protect yourself from the sun’s rays.
- Drink eight to ten glasses of water and other liquids daily to keep from being dehydrated. Dehydration is the condition when the body loses much of its fluids and salts. This is dangerous to the human body; when the body loses a significant amount of fluids and salts, these are not quickly replaced. Too much loss of water and salts in the body can cause death.
- Choose the right kind of clothing. In the Philippines, it is best to wear loose-fitting clothes that are made of cotton fabric. This kind of textile easily absorbs heat and allows air to pass through its fibers, thus cooling the body.
- Stay alert for signs and symptoms of illnesses due to extreme heat such as dizziness or fainting, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, and extreme thirst. If you feel any of these signs, move to a cooler place and drink lots of water and other liquids to replenish the lost salts and prevent dehydration.
- Never play with any source of light or heat energy. Use heated appliances such as stoves and flatirons with much caution and under adult supervision. Follow correct procedures when handling them. For instance, when working with kitchen appliances, never stay too close to sources of fire and heat. Handle hot pots and pans with pot holders and never with your bare hands, as the heat from these items will transfer to your hands and burn them.
