How to Exercise Safely Outdoors in the Heat

Heat and humidity lower exercise performance, so you will be slower at everything, she says. Go easy on yourself. When doing a family bike ride or hike, be aware that children tend to overheat more quickly and may need to drink more often.

 How to recognize the different types of heat illness and stay cool in hot weather

But before heatstroke occurs, you can recognize the warning signs of less severe heat illnesses, and take the proper measures to avoid any health risks.

 It's not your imagination, humidity really is killing you

Hot and humid weather prevents your body from cooling itself down.

 ‘We’re in serious trouble’: Why a hotter world will be bad for our health

From the strain extreme heat puts on your heart to the damage it may do to your mental health, not to mention the increased air pollution, the forecast isn’t good.

It’s Not the Heat. It’s the Humidity

As climate change progresses, it’s not just warmth that will hurt us. It's the humid heat.

Deadly Degrees: Why Heat Waves Kill So Quickly

Outdoorsy types and outdoor workers like roofers might suffer first, but it's the elderly and the mentally ill who make up the majority of deaths

Does drinking hot liquids on a hot day actually cool you off?

Okay, so drinking hotter drinks makes you sweat more and lose more heat, whereas colder drinks cool you down, but not quite enough. So should everyone start downing hot tea in the middle of a scorching August afternoon? Probably not.

Fluids, cool air key to avoiding heat stroke

Summer’s heat is as predictable as winter’s chill. Heat-related illnesses—and even deaths—are also predictable. But they aren’t inevitable. In fact, most are preventable. Staying hydrated is the key. No matter what the season, your body functions like a furnace.

Frontline: Interview Doug Casa MD

When you say that the Korey Stringer Institute studies sudden death in sports, tell me what sudden death in sports is. What are you tracking?

Heat Illness Prevention

Heat-related illness and death are on the rise. Heat stroke, a severe form of heat-related illness, is one of the three leading causes of death in athletes and likely the leading cause among athletes in July and August. Yet heat illness is largely preventable.

Heat Index Captures Real Feel of Torrid Temperatures

Metric includes humidity, is derived from equation that accounts for everything from body size to vapor pressure.

Heat stroke: A doctor offers tips to stay safe as temperatures soar

Victims of heat stroke can be of any age, but more often it is the elderly, particularly those over the age of 70. As people age, our bodies’ ability to cool declines, and the elderly often take medication that further impairs this ability. In addition, the elderly may not be aware of the dangerous heat wave, and may not have working air conditioning in their home, nor have anyone to check on them. As a physician, I know from experience how the heat of summer and the cold of winter test the lives of the very old. Other factors that increase the risk for heat stroke are obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Heat waves are America's deadliest weather disaster. They don't have to be.

Heat waves are quickly becoming one of the world's deadliest weather phenomena. In the United States, extreme heat now kills more people each year than tornadoes, hurricanes, or flooding. And a massive heat wave, like the one that hit Europe in 2003, can kill tens of thousands in a blow.

Heat-related illness still deadly problem for athletes

'The scenario that you typically see on the football field during preseason is often, not to be cute, but really a recipe for death," says Michael F. Bergeron, director of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance at the University of South Dakota's Sanford Medical Center. That's why the National Athletic Trainers Association issued an inter-association consensus statement in 2009 with recommendations on how to acclimatize to hot-weather activity gradually over 14 days.

Here’s what happens to your body in a heat wave

Without appropriate precaution during a heat wave, here’s what happens to your body: First comes heat exhaustion, which involves profuse sweating, rapid breathing, and listlessness. Then the skin starts to feel dry, because it’s not able to perspire to keep temperatures low.

How Athletes Can Stay Cool in the Heat

Here are some tips from professionals with the English Ladies Golf Association on how to stay cool on the golf course in the heat, but they’re also timeless and relate well with any outdoor sport.

How Did Humans Handle Intense Heat Before Air Conditioning Became Popular?

Most importantly, people didn’t stay cooped up in houses as they do now with air conditioning, but came out for strolls or neighborly chats.

How High Heat Can Impact Mental Health

"Heat is hard on human beings. Extreme temperatures are hard on human beings," Duckworth said. "The particular vulnerability is if you're taking psychiatric medicines, that can actually make the condition higher risk for you."

How Hot Is Too Hot to Run Outside?

With enough preparation and training, it’s possible to run long distances in the heat.

How to Keep Kids Safe During a Heat Wave

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can come on suddenly; and young children are especially vulnerable.

In some heatwaves, fans do more harm than good

A new study suggests turning on a fan can actually be dangerous in extremely hot, dry conditions.

Kids In Hot Cars: Deadly Temperatures Develop In One Hour, New Study Finds

Results indicated that in one hour in the hot sun, with an ambient temperature of 100 F, the interior temperatures on average reached 116 F. The seats reached 123 F, the steering wheel 127 F, and the dashboard 157 F. In the shade, the results were also pretty striking. The interior temperature after one hour was 100F, with the seats 105 F, the dashboard 118 F and the steering wheel 107 F.

Preventing and Treating Heat-Related Illness

Among the most important preventive measures is to drink more water. “Kids don’t need the electrolytes or sugar from sports drinks,” Dr. Kline said. Caffeinated beverages should be avoided because they don’t help to hydrate. Cool water is the best drink to stay hydrated, and frequent water breaks are important, even if children say they don’t feel thirsty.

Sizzling Summer: Tips For Staying Alive

There is a spectrum of symptoms with heat-related illness. Early on, you might experience nausea, headache, dizziness or faintness, and cramping. These are signs of heat exhaustion and, if mild, can be treated with fluids and cooling (shower or wet wraps).

So Far, More Heat Waves Do Not Mean More Heat Deaths

As the climate continues to warm, scientists warn that the incidence of heat-related illness will rise. A new study projects a big increase in the number of emergency room visits for heat-related illness. Based on two scenarios (moderate warming vs. severe warming), there will be 21,000 to 28,000 more visits every summer by 2050. That increase is not related to a higher population; it's strictly the result of more intense heat waves.

The Enduring Appeal of Being Hot

What is it about sweaty, 105-degree yoga that makes people feel intensely alive?

The latest winter storms have been deadly. But are cold snaps deadlier than heat waves?

Answer: it’s complicated.

Too Hot to Handle

Hot weather kills more Americans than all other natural disasters combined, and the casualties continue to climb despite decades of warnings about how to recognize the signs of heat stress and take prompt corrective action.

What Are the Signs of Heat Stroke?

Heat-related illness can affect anyone who spends blocks of time outdoors.

Heat exhaustion or heat stroke? Know the signs of heat illness

Heavy sweating, weakness, cool skin, pale and clammy. Weak pulse. Normal temperature possible. Possible muscle cramps, dizziness, fainting, nausea and vomiting.

Hyperthermia Syndromes

A life-threatening emergency in which there is a failure of the body’s thermoregulatory mechanisms to handle extrinsic and intrinsic heat. The failure of thermoregulation leads to multi-system organ dysfunction characterized by alteration of neurologic function.

National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses

Certified athletic trainers evaluate and treat heat-related injuries during athletic activity in “safe” and high-risk environments. While the recognition of heat illness has improved, the subtle signs and symptoms associated with heat illness are often overlooked, resulting in more serious problems for affected athletes.