Beware of the Heat: How Heat Affects Children and How to Protect Them
Living in Cyprus during summer can be challenging for many people. As the summer is getting to its peak and temperatures are getting higher, we should know how to deal with the heat. Some people are more vulnerable than others, such as kids.
Let’s see why and what are the ways to protect them!
What is heat stress?
Heat stress happens when the human body is unable to cool down during high temperatures. Additional factors for this can be physical activity and not enough water intake.
When combined with higher levels of humidity, like in Cyprus, the effects of the heat stress become worse.
Why are children more vulnerable?
The cooling mechanism of the human body is sweating. However, children’s bodies are not as developed as adult bodies, so they can’t sweat that much and their bodies can’t cool down.
For kids it’s harder to express that they feel too hot or too thirsty. For infants particularly it’s more difficult to tell someone that they don’t feel good and what exactly they feel.
So it’s very important that adults observe their environment and bodily condition.
What are the effects on children?
The signs of heat-related stress are:
- Fast breathing
- Exhaustion
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Also, the child might look confused, less concentrated, and easily irritable.
How to combat the heat stress?
- Regularly check children for any symptoms.
- If you are walking or having time outside, make regular breaks at shaded areas.
- Make sure you give enough water to the children.
- Avoid giving sugary drinks to children.
- Include foods for hydration in the children’s diet: soups, watermelon, yellow melon, oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes.
- Dress the kids in natural fabric and loose-fitting clothes; choose light colours.
- Dress kids with hats and use umbrellas if possible.
- Cool children’s skin with wet cloths.
If you want to know more about how to protect children from the heat, click here.
Photo credits: magnific.com