As the summer months continue, many people will notice the temperature of their homes rising.
But did you know that having an overheated home could seriously impact your health?
High temperatures can increase your risk of heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, so it is important to keep indoor temperature safe, especially for our most vulnerable.
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For those with young children, it is advisable to use a room thermometer to check that the room your baby sleeps in is at 16 degrees C to 20 degrees C.
Your baby should not sleep in direct sunlight.
Heatwaves are known to result in increased deaths or serious illness, and no segment of the population may be considered protected from the risks associated with heatwaves.
However, those at most risk include the elderly, the sick, infants and small children. So a safe, climate-controlled environment should be ensured.
Target temperatures
Room temperature should be about 20 degrees Centigrade.
HSE Sustainability Office indicates the temperature of 18 – 23 degrees is the comfortable range.
In the Heatwave Plan for England, 26 degrees is used as the upper limit for cool areas.
Actions
- Continue comprehensive temperature assessing
- Ensure cool areas are kept below 26 degrees
- Ensure sufficient cold water and ice
Access to cool rooms and close monitoring of vulnerable individuals is also recommended during hot weather periods.
If there's a high risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke during hot weather, you should:
- drink plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising
- take cool baths or showers
- wear light-coloured, loose clothing
- sprinkle water over skin or clothes
- avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm
- avoid excess alcohol
- avoid extreme exercise
This will also prevent dehydration and help your body keep itself cool.
Keep an eye on children, the elderly and people with long-term health conditions (like diabetes or heart problems) because they're more at risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is not usually serious if you can cool down within 30 minutes. However, if it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.
Check for signs of heat exhaustion
The signs of heat exhaustion include:
- a headache
- dizziness and confusion
- loss of appetite and feeling sick
- excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or pulse
- a high temperature of 38C or above
- being very thirsty
The symptoms are often the same in adults and children, although children may become floppy and sleepy.
If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down.
Things you can do to cool someone down
If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these four steps:
- Move them to a cool place.
- Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
- Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
- Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.
Stay with them until they're better.
They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
You should seek medical advice if they do not recover within 30 minutes.
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