Among the essential actions to avoid heatstroke and the complications it causes, it is important to hydrate abundantly with water (preferably lukewarm), broths or cold soups (like gazpacho).
Drinking water helps fuel perspiration, an essential passive cooling mechanism of our body, which is particularly effective if there is air movement (fan, air blower, etc.).
Drinking 3, 4 or 5 liters of water per day is therefore entirely reasonable during periods of high heat.
The benefit of broths and cold soups is to provide mineral salts, which are eliminated during sweating at the first heat stroke.
Remember, sweating is cool!
Also remember to monitor elderly and vulnerable people, who do not have the chance to benefit from thermoregulation mechanisms as effective as those in good health.
Doctor Jean-Pierre Besancenot recalls that elderly people only feel “the need to protect themselves when their skin temperature rises close to 5°C, compared to 0.5°C in adults. »
It is therefore imperative to ensure that they are well hydrated: many home helpers and nurses save lives with a simple damp glove placed over their face.
Think about yourself put in a cabin during the day and agree to live in the dark to be cool.
Don’t hesitate to take refuge in a cool place during the day, even for a few hours.
At night, it is imperative to ventilate and look for the slightest breeze. Sleeping on your balcony or in a garden, when you are lucky enough to have one, remains the best option (the ideal being a hammock).
A good night's sleep is the best way to cope with scorching days.
Sources: J.-P. Besancenot, Santé Publique France.
Image: Freio - climatic design