You don't have to be directly under the sun to experience heatstroke.
On the contrary, you can be sitting in your living room and experience it.
In fact, indoor heatstroke is as dangerous as outdoor heatstroke. This is because poor ventilation indoors prevents heat from escaping the room. As a result, your home can act like an oven—overheating your entire body.
But there are ways to prevent indoor heatstroke. In today’s blog, we’re sharing indoor heatstroke prevention strategies and tips to get your HVAC system in tip-top shape for the summer heat.
What is Indoor Heatstroke?
Indoor heatstroke is when your indoor environment gets too warm for your body to regulate its internal temperature. Having a core temperature of 40°C or higher can lead to severe heat injuries and illnesses, which is only slightly hotter than the warmest room temperature of 32°C.
What is the Difference Between Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke?
Heatstroke is when your body can’t control its internal temperature. Meanwhile, heat exhaustion is when your body loses a significant amount of water and salt, usually from sweating. Moreover, the former is a medical emergency, while the latter only requires you to rest and drink cold fluids.
As such, knowing the signs of heatstroke is essential. Then you can immediately call a medical professional before things get worse.
10 Signs of Heatstroke
Here’s a list of heatstroke symptoms.
- Nausea
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty breathing
- Excessive sweating
- Inability to cool off
- Feeling faint or fainting
- Migraine or lightheadedness
- Rapid heartbeat or chest pain
- Unusual sleepiness, fatigue, or deep exhaustion
- Confusion, slurred speech, or change in mental state
4 Ways to Prevent Indoor Heatstroke
With 5 million people dying from extreme temperatures, taking the necessary steps to prevent heatstroke is vital. Knowing the symptoms of heatstroke is one thing, but unless you know how to avoid and handle them, heatstroke will harm your body and leave you in a panicked state.
So, here are 4 tips on how to prevent heatstroke.
#1 – Stay Hydrated
One way your body battles heat is through sweating. But perspiring also means losing a lot of necessary fluids, minerals, and electrolytes. So, drink as much water as possible to replenish what your body has lost, even if you're inactive. Also, steer clear of sweet drinks and alcohol, as these can cause further dehydration.
#2 – Wear Light Clothes
Wear clothes that are lightweight, loose-fitting, and light in colour. These will allow your body to breathe more. Plus, light-coloured clothing reflects heat and light rather than absorbing it, keeping your body cooler and able to regulate its internal temperature.
#3 – Watch Out for Weather Warnings
Even if the weather is perfect for napping without a cooling system, it can become scorching hot without you knowing it. Remember to check weather forecasts and pay attention to warnings issued by the government. Doing so lets you take the necessary steps to keep your home cool.
#4 – Turn On Your HVAC System
An electric fan sometimes isn’t enough to keep your home cool, especially at the height of summer. As such, use an AC system as needed to regulate your indoor temperature and humidity. If you’re afraid of rising energy bills, there are always ways you can keep it low.
3 Tips to Ensure Your HVAC is Ready
As temperatures continue to rise every year, an HVAC system has become a necessity for health and safety—not just for comfort. But is it optimally working to serve you during the summer heat?
Here are 3 tips to prepare your HVAC system for the summer:
#1 – Purchase and Install Your HVAC System in Advance
Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for AC installers. Because of this, you’ll have difficulty scheduling an appointment with them. Not only that, but AC units and cooling systems will also be more expensive. So, know when it’s the right time to buy your AC system so you won’t get caught off guard and spend unnecessarily.
#2 – Identify Wear and Tear on Your HVAC
A malfunctioning HVAC system can increase your energy bill and suddenly stop working at the peak of summer. As such, it’s crucial to know when to replace your AC unit or have an HVAC installer repair it. Identify signs of wear and tear, like dusty smells, excessive vibrations or noise, greater energy use, and loose joints.
#3 – Have Professional Technicians Clean & Inspect Your System
Sometimes, the damage to your AC unit system isn’t always apparent. That’s why you need a reliable HVAC installer to inspect, clean, and maintain your air conditioner. This, in turn, will ensure that your system is working properly and lengthen its lifespan.
Indoor heatstroke is a serious matter that can have long-term impacts on your health. But you can prevent it by staying hydrated, keeping informed, wearing the right clothes, and maintaining and using your HVAC system to help regulate your internal body temperature.
Looking for an HVAC professional?
At Mom’s Heating & Cooling, we only do premium HVAC installations and work with top-skilled technicians. Reach out today so you can feel comfortable and safe in your home.
