Enjoy your summer, safely (1MB pdf)

Heatwave

Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it’s too hot, there are health risks. During heatwaves, more people than usual get seriously ill or die.

  • The main risks posed by a heatwave are:
  • not drinking enough water
  • overheating, which can make symptoms worse for people who already have problems with their heart or breathing
  • heat exhaustion and heatstroke

A heatwave can affect anyone, but the most vulnerable people are:

  • older people – especially those over 75
  • those who live on their own or in a care home
  • people who have a serious or long-term illness including heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease or some mental health conditions
  • people who are on multiple medicines that may make them more likely to be badly affected by hot weather
  • those who may find it hard to keep cool – babies and the very young, the bed bound, those with drug or alcohol addictions or with Alzheimer’s disease
  • people who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places – those who live in a top-floor flat, the homeless or those whose jobs are outside

Tips for coping in hot weather:

  • spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
  • stay hydrated
  • cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
  • take extra care with children
  • use at least factor 30 sunscreen
  • Look out for others, particularly elderly and young children who are most vulnerable
  • Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees.
  • Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke

Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes. If it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • tiredness
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • feeling sick or being sick · excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin
  • cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
  • fast breathing or heartbeat
  • a high temperature
  • being very thirsty
  • weakness

The symptoms of heat exhaustion are often the same in adults and children, although children may become irritable too.

If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down and given fluids.

If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:

  1. Move them to a cool place.
  2. Remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks.
  3. Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink, or cool water.
  4. Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs, wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck are good too.

Stay with them until they’re better. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

Contact 111 if you or someone else have symptoms of heat exhaustion that you’re struggling to treat or you need advice about

Call 999 if you or someone else have signs of heatstroke, including:

  • still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids
  • a very high temperature
  • hot skin that’s not sweating and might look red (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin)
  • a fast heartbeat
  • fast breathing or shortness of breath
  • confusion and lack of coordination
  • a seizure or fit
  • loss of consciousness – put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness while you’re waiting for help.