Surviving the Heat: Tips for Staying Cool and Safe

[drizzle]

Still sucks turbo, even without having any of those you've mentioned... Btw, who's 'he'?

 

[turbo]

Oops! *we

 

[drizzle]

Hehe, it's okay, it proves I'm not feeling off yet!

 

[turbo]

Finally! The heat wave appears to have broken. We have 75 deg with a steady light rain. Hoping for dry air on the back side of this front...

 

[turbo]

This has to be the hottest summer ever in Maine! Every time we catch a little break, the "conveyor belt" revs up, bringing us hot humid air from the SW. Today, it is 90+ with unbearable humidity, with high ozone levels to boot. Everybody with respiratory problems needs to stay inside, hopefully with some AC.

 

[Evo]

I feel sorry for you up there. Here it's been running a few degrees below normal, which is much hotter than the last 4 years where it was running 10-20 degrees cooler than average in the summer.

 

[Andre]

Maybe try to export a bit of that heat to South America.

 

[turbo]

Maybe try to export a bit of that heat to South America.

I'd love to arrange at least a partial swap!

 

[leroyjenkens]

It was 103 yesterday here in Florida. I ran a mile yesterday and it wasn't so bad. The only time the heat bothers me is if it's hot when I'm trying to sleep. I can't sleep well in a hot room.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

It has been hot here in Long Beach but not terrible I don't think. I don't usually check weather news. It has been hot enough to be uncomfortable in my apartment though. I just went out and bought a small cheap air conditioning unit and suddenly the heat dies down. I knew that was going to happen. Its still useful though as I sleep during the day when it usually gets relatively hot anyway. I don't sleep well in heat either.

 

[lisab]

Fairly mild summer here in the Seattle area. Cloudy, mid 50s in the mornings, sunny and around 80 in the afternoon.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How hot is it? 1.22 degrees F above the century avg.

Global land and ocean surface temperatures in the first half of 2010 were the warmest January-June on record, the federal climate service reported Thursday.

January-June temperatures averaged 57.5 degrees Fahrenheit — 1.22 degrees F above the 20th Century average, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Its records go back to 1880.

That broke the previous record of 1.19 degrees F above average set in 1998...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38263788/

We've had a couple of weeks in the nineties, with a few days just below 100, but all in all we are having a pretty nice summer here. Expected highs around 80 degrees this week.

We had a lot of late rain. Our creek was running until about July 14th, which I think is the latest we've ever seen it running. Normally it dries up about mid June.

 

[khemist]

In the bay area it has been perfect. ranging from 65-85 degrees so far, couldn't be better...

 

[Danger]

In the bay area it has been perfect. ranging from 65-85 degrees so far, couldn't be better...

I like heat, but... holy ****! I'm quite comfortable at anywhere from -30 to +40, but holy ****! 85° will boil the eyeballs out of a rhinoceros. Is there even an area on this planet, aside from volcanic vents, that ever achieves that temperature?

 

[turbo]

Another nasty day! I only got about 1/3 or less of my garlic pulled before I gave into that queasy, nasty feeling that precedes a real heat stroke. Once again, it's about 90 in the shade with high humidity, so I'm sitting in the house with the AC blasting away. My electric bill will be a doozy!

 

[jtbell]

We haven't had many really sizzling days (>100F) so far this summer, but we've had a lot more days >90F than usual. Sometime during the past week one of the TV weathermen in Charlotte (somewhat north of us) commented that they had 44 days at >90F so far this summer, compared to a normal 20 or so. And we haven't even reached August yet, which is normally the hottest month of the year.

 

[Evo]

I just read that cooler air is heading to the NE.

From weather.com

Drier conditions should build in from northwest to southeast as a cold front pushes through. Once the front passes by the showers and thunderstorms should come to an end.

Behind that cold front northern New England, most of New York and western Pennsylvania should have a nice afternoon. Mostly clear skies, low humidity and pleasant temperatures are expected through week's end.

 

[turbo]

I hope! The weather-man has been promising us a Canadian high for some time now, and it never materializes. Just more humid ozone-laden crap from the south and west. I have never been through a hotter summer than this. I have a lot of outside stuff to do, but it's just not happening.

 

[brainstorm]

Trick to appreciate summer heat: imagine it is a freezing winter and you're getting all the free heat you want.

Tip#2: desensitize yourself to the heat by keeping your indoor thermostat set to as high a temperature as you can tolerate. The more you can raise your comfort zone, the less extreme the outdoor temperature will seem in comparison.

 

[Danger]

I hope! The weather-man has been promising us a Canadian high for some time now

Are you referring to "BC bud", or still discussing the weather? If the former, remember to take no more than 2 hoots and put it out. Any more than that, and you will be severely messed up.

 

[turbo]

Trick to appreciate summer heat: imagine it is a freezing winter and you're getting all the free heat you want.

Tip#2: desensitize yourself to the heat by keeping your indoor thermostat set to as high a temperature as you can tolerate. The more you can raise your comfort zone, the less extreme the outdoor temperature will seem in comparison.

I spent over 20 years in the pulp and paper industry, with 4 years as a process chemist in a pulp mill, and 6 years as the lead operator of the world's most advanced (at the time) and probably hottest paper machine. I spent another 10 years or so as a consultant/troubleshooter on paper machines and boilers and steam systems all over the east and southern US. I have managed to cope with extreme heat! Now I have respiratory problems, though, and I can't tough it out like I used to. When you can't breathe, nothing else matters much.

 

[Office_Shredder]

I like heat, but... holy ****! I'm quite comfortable at anywhere from -30 to +40, but holy ****! 85° will boil the eyeballs out of a rhinoceros. Is there even an area on this planet, aside from volcanic vents, that ever achieves that temperature?

Fahrenheit dude. Fahrenheit

 

[VeeEight]

Fahrenheit dude. Fahrenheit

Sounds like he took more than 2 hoots

 

[brainstorm]

I spent over 20 years in the pulp and paper industry, with 4 years as a process chemist in a pulp mill, and 6 years as the lead operator of the world's most advanced (at the time) and probably hottest paper machine. I spent another 10 years or so as a consultant/troubleshooter on paper machines and boilers and steam systems all over the east and southern US. I have managed to cope with extreme heat! Now I have respiratory problems, though, and I can't tough it out like I used to. When you can't breathe, nothing else matters much.

Well, your respiratory problems might be due to actual physical causes but I think many people's are psychosomatic. Usually, I take the fact that people react defensively against my suggestion to acclimate as an indication that they have some intense psychological aversion to having to deal with temperature discomfort. Some people probably have no choice but to air condition at a level low enough to prevent them from health problems, but that is actually a detriment to them, I think, insofar as it sensitizes them to warmer temperatures - which could result in a stronger reaction in the event that their a/c breaks or they are otherwise unable to get access to cool air-temperature.

If you live on a boat, it's a good idea to practice swimming - and similarly if you live in an area where temperatures can get into the 90s or above, it is a good idea to practice acclimating to as little a/c as you can stand. I've been doing this for a number of years and I don't really become uncomfortable indoors until @90F. I do use fans, though, to keep the air moving. Outside I can comfortably bike or walk anywhere in the 90s.

 

[Danger]

When you can't breathe, nothing else matters much.

Roger that, big time. My epidermis loves the heat, but colder air provides a denser intake charge (ie: more oxygen per inhalation).
Hell of choice there: breathe and freeze or choke and bake.

 

[brainstorm]

Roger that, big time. My epidermis loves the heat, but colder air provides a denser intake charge (ie: more oxygen per inhalation).
Hell of choice there: breathe and freeze or choke and bake.

According to this graph, http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ls=en&biw=1233&bih=852&tbs=isch:1&um=1&itbs=1 , the density of air only decreases @5% between 80 and 90. That seems to be equivalent to increasing your altitude by @500m according to this graph: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ls=en&biw=1233&bih=852&tbs=isch:1&um=1&itbs=1

So maybe it is lack of oxygen that causes some people to get winded climbing a mountain instead of their just being relatively out of shape?

 

[Danger]

So maybe it is lack of oxygen that causes some people to get winded climbing a mountain instead of their just being relatively out of shape?

Certainly. It's the same reason that aircraft require oxygen equipment if they are going to exceed 10,000 ft in altitude. (That was the law when I was flying; it might be different now.)

 

[Evo]

So maybe it is lack of oxygen that causes some people to get winded climbing a mountain instead of their just being relatively out of shape?

At lower mountain altitudes, it's both. My company sent a few of us to a one week getaway at a posh mountain resort. While the rest of us had no problems running up stairs, my boss, a heavy smoker, would have to stop and try to catch his breath.

Climbing at much higher elevations will require added oxygen for people that are not acclimitized.

 

[xxChrisxx]

What's next? The dead rising from the grave? Dogs and cats living together?

Damn it, I want to watch Ghostbusters now.

 

[brainstorm]

Certainly. It's the same reason that aircraft require oxygen equipment if they are going to exceed 10,000 ft in altitude. (That was the law when I was flying; it might be different now.)

Air density at 10,000ft is 75% what it is at sea level, according to this chart:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...98AbsqpCSAw&page=1&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0

I can't find a good graph of how much density air loses between 85 and 95 but I can't imagine it is anywhere near 25%. I exercise moderately at 95F without any shortness of breath. Hopefully someone can provide a better estimate of how much density is lost between @80 and @95F to get an idea of how much suffering is caused by oxygen shortage and how much is just stress resulting from discomfort (which of course can be extremely traumatic, even though it is psychosomatic).

Additionally, I think there is a compounding effect of stress on overheating because stress raises core-temperature, which increases the need to dissipate heat, which dissipates slower in warmer surroundings, which adds to the stress. So the corollary of that would seem to be that averting heat-discomfort stress should reduce core-heat and prevent the need to dissipate excess heat, which occurs too slowly anyway. In other words, keeping your cool under the stress of heat may pay off in terms of reducing body-heat production. Stressing about low oxygen levels probably wouldn't help the situation.

 

[hamster143]

Hopefully someone can provide a better estimate of how much density is lost between @80 and @95F

If you can treat air as an ideal gas, since absolute zero is -460 F, the answer is 15/(80+460) = 2.8%.

But the air you breathe will probably come into thermal equilibrium with your body by the time it reaches lungs, so the real effect may be much lower than that.

 

[Danger]

But the air you breathe will probably come into thermal equilibrium with your body by the time it reaches lungs, so the real effect may be much lower than that.

That is true for most people. One of the reasons for having such convoluted nasal passages and sinuses is for pre-heating air in winter to protect the lungs. I, however, have to breathe through my mouth, so there is very little of that effect.

Brainstorm, you present some interesting and potentially valid points, but they also don't apply in my particular case. My total lung capacity (both of them together) is somewhere around 1/4 litre, which is a tad less than that required for an Olympic athlete, so every microlitre of oxygen that finds its way in is important to me. I definitely notice an improvement due to lowering temperature, as long as it isn't too cold, and I assure you that it isn't psychosomatic or stress-related. (And I'm willing to bet that if you pay close attention, you will notice that your car shows increased power in chilly or foggy weather for the same reason. In fact, a cold-air induction system or water injector is considered a performance-enhancing modification.) I'm not suggesting that your reasoning is flawed; merely that it doesn't apply in all cases.

edit: I just discovered that "total lung capacity" has a specific medical definition which doesn't coincide with the way in which I used it. I meant that I can "process" only about 1/4 litre per breath. The other peculiar thing about emphysema is that most of the difficulty lies in exhaling.

 

[brainstorm]

That is true for most people. One of the reasons for having such convoluted nasal passages and sinuses is for pre-heating air in winter to protect the lungs. I, however, have to breathe through my mouth, so there is very little of that effect.

Brainstorm, you present some interesting and potentially valid points, but they also don't apply in my particular case. My total lung capacity (both of them together) is somewhere around 1/4 litre, which is a tad less than that required for an Olympic athlete, so every microlitre of oxygen that finds its way in is important to me. I definitely notice an improvement due to lowering temperature, as long as it isn't too cold, and I assure you that it isn't psychosomatic or stress-related. (And I'm willing to bet that if you pay close attention, you will notice that your car shows increased power in chilly or foggy weather for the same reason. In fact, a cold-air induction system or water injector is considered a performance-enhancing modification.) I'm not suggesting that your reasoning is flawed; merely that it doesn't apply in all cases.

edit: I just discovered that "total lung capacity" has a specific medical definition which doesn't coincide with the way in which I used it. I meant that I can "process" only about 1/4 litre per breath. The other peculiar thing about emphysema is that most of the difficulty lies in exhaling.

I always hate these types of exchanges because it seems like it is somehow necessary to validate your position despite mine. It seems like this has gotten very popular since green politics has become widespread. It's like for every person coming up with good ideas to promote greening, there are many more who find it necessary to find excuses to justify less green lifestyle choices. Personally, I do some things that are good for greening or for my health, but I do others that are bad for me or environment. I know I should change my less green or less healthy habits but I'm not going to make excuses for them. They are what they are.

Again, I'm not saying that you're making up your lung condition or that it's an excuse. I just don't like listening to so many excuses and having to sort out the honest ones from the BS. For every one person with a true health problem, there will be many more who claim to have a problem as an excuse to justify running their a/c at a lower temperature, etc.

What I was trying to point out in another post was just that acclimatizing your body to cooler temperatures by spending more time in climate control, or setting the a/c at a lower temperature causes you to feel relatively hotter when you go outside. This increases stress, which raises muscle tension and generates more body heat. As your body heat rises even more from stress, your body has to sweat more to cool down, which further increases your discomfort - especially if you stress about your perspiration. So it makes sense that people who are more acclimatized to warmer temperatures not only feel cooler during hot summer days, but also sweat less or at least not as profusely. I perspire more or less constantly, but usually at a very low level unless I am physically exerting myself in the sun without wind to cool and dry my skin.

 

[Danger]

I always hate these types of exchanges because it seems like it is somehow necessary to validate your position despite mine... ...For every one person with a true health problem, there will be many more who claim to have a problem as an excuse to justify running their a/c at a lower temperature, etc.

What I was trying to point out in another post was just that acclimatizing your body to cooler temperatures by spending more time in climate control, or setting the a/c at a lower temperature causes you to feel relatively hotter when you go outside.

It appears that there has been a bit of miscommunication. I was not thinking in terms of air conditioning, or using it as a crutch at the expense of the environment. A/C is not something that one will normally find in a Canadian home. In fact, my furnace came on a couple of times last night.

 

[turbo]

Again, I'm not saying that you're making up your lung condition or that it's an excuse. I just don't like listening to so many excuses and having to sort out the honest ones from the BS. For every one person with a true health problem, there will be many more who claim to have a problem as an excuse to justify running their a/c at a lower temperature, etc.

I hope you never develop emphysema or COPD. When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.