Healthy in the Heat: A guide to coping with hot weather and heatwaves
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Coping and staying healthy in hot weather and heatwaves including heat related conditions, tips, emergency treatment and recovery
Staying healthy in hot weather may mean you have to change your exercise routine to reduce your risk of heat-related illness.
When the weather is hot, it is important to:
It can be more difficult to get the sleep you need when the weather is very hot or in extreme heat.
Try these tips to help you get a better night sleep:
Keeping your food safe is important at all times but it is especially important in hot weather and extreme heat.
Bacteria grows much more quickly on food when conditions are hot, increasing the risk of food poisoning.
For more information about food safety and how you can prevent food poisoning, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/foodsafety
Drink plenty of fluids - water is best.
Adult women need about 8 cups (around 2L) and adult men need about 10 cups (around 2.5L) of fluid a day. But how much you need will depend upon how much exercise you are doing, your weight, if you are taking certain medications and if you are breast feeding.
In hotter parts of Australia and during hot weather and extreme heat, you may need to drink much more water to prevent the body becoming dehydrated.
Have a refillable bottle of water handy in your bag, backpack, at work and in the car and remember to avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially during hot weather and extreme heat.