Topline
As a blistering heat wave makes its way over the Midwest and Northeast this week, forecasters warn residents to seek air-conditioned rooms, hydrate and avoid long periods of time outdoors, though there are several other tips that can help people cool down as the temperature reaches into the 90s and 100s.
The heat index, a measure of how hot it feels outside when considering humidity, is expected to … [+]
Key Facts
Residents in a heat wave should also avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, or food or drinks rich with sugar, which can contribute to dehydration, according to The Weather Channel and the American Red Cross.
Eating a heavy meal can also cause body heat to rise, George Washington University integrative medicine diretor Leigh Frame told The Washington Post, cautioning digestion creates heat in the body, while rich, heavy meals can take time for the body to break down.
Spicy food can be beneficial during a heat wave, The Los Angeles Times reported, noting that while spicy food makes the body feel hotter, it also initiates sweating, allowing the body to cool off.
Scientists have also suggested wearing loose-fitting and light-colored clothing that allows air to circulate and sweat to evaporate and the body to cool, Americares medical officer Prabu Selvam told CNN.
Some medications, meanwhile, can accelerate dehydration and make it harder to cool down, such as diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, some blood pressure medications and some antipsychotic medications that can disrupt perspiration.
Officials in Michigan also warned residents on Monday to avoid refueling at the gas station, drive less, avoid leaving a car idling and not mow the lawn, citing poor air quality that can be exacerbated by combustion engines.
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Tangent
Long sun exposure or long periods spent outside in a heat wave can cause a condition called heat stress, when the body’s autonomic nervous system is unable to adequately regulate body temperature within one or two degrees of normal temperature, a condition more common among people 65 and older, overweight people, and people with heart disease or high blood pressure. Long exposure can also increase the risk of heat stroke, exhaustion and heat rashes, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Surprising Fact
Excessive heat is the number-one cause of weather-related death in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between 1992 and 2021, excessive heat killed 158 people in the U.S. per year, on average, above deaths from flooding (88), tornadoes (71) and hurricanes (45). Last year, 2017 people died from excessive heat, according to NOAA.
Big Number
Nearly 80 million. That’s how many Americans from Iowa to Maine the National Weather Service placed under some form of heat warning or advisory Tuesday morning, as the Northeast’s first major heat wave rolled in. Forecasters expect temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s to continue to climb into the week, with the heat index—how hot it feels outside—surging above 100 degrees in some areas, and likely breaking a string of daily temperature records (Forbes has tracked daily heat records nationwide since Memorial Day weekend).
