Seriously, I need tips on beating the heat.

[career_radio-checker]

In Ottawa today it was 35 C outside, in the upper 40s with humidity. I could really feel it when I stepped outside the War Museum today. My freshly shaved head felt like it was instantly burning. Now it's 11pm and still 33 C in my apartment.

I've lived in  Ottawa for 4 years now but today was the first time I actually felt in danger because of the heat.
I spent the afternoon walking around town and headed down to the War Museum (I just like going there). I felt dizzy this afternoon so upped my intake of water -- about a bottle every hour to 1.5 hours. Got home and tried to sleep. I slept for about 30 mins when I awoke to a sweat soaked pillow. I had a headache so I downed two Tylenol all the while drinking lots of water. Now at 11pm I still have a severe headache but not so dizzy anymore. 

I live on my own in an apartment with no AC (if you didn't know, all department stores are sold out of AC units). I have two fans that right now are just blowing hot air. Besides fans, drinking water what else can I do to cool down? And for any medics out there, because I am on my own, what should I watch for should I need medical attention?

 

[Gouki]

I saw on the news something that may help ... take a bunch of trays of ice and put it in front of the fans .. the cold air from the ice will be blown around the room.

Probably a temp fix though, and I never tried it but hey if it helps ..

 

[Michael OLeary]

Some ideas:

http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~gmilburn/ac/

http://www.instructables.com/id/EIYO2TKH8AEPA8L3IO/

 

[George Wallace]

I'll leave the Medics to questioning you on your Salt intake.

I'll leave Paracowboy to question you on your Gatoraide/Poweraide consumption.  I was out this afternoon and while waiting for my next bus in Orleans I replenned on Gatorade.  I hadn't really been doing much physically, besides walking, but I find the odd one can help (It is the first Gatorade I have had in over four months).  

Dehydration can give you headaches.

Do you have a tub?  If you have a tub, fill it with cool water and relax in it for a while.  

A cold beer always sounds nice, but the Medics here will advise against alcohol.

Check out the beach.

Anyway there is another Thunder Storm tonight and cooler temps forcast for the weekend.   ;D

 

[rmacqueen]

I work outside and always have a bag of chips or peanuts with me to ensure that my salt levels stay up.  Had a headache myself this morning but it went away after having some chips and a bottle of water.

 

[career_radio-checker]

I work outside and always have a bag of chips or peanuts with me to ensure that my salt levels stay up.  Had a headache myself this morning but it went away after having some chips and a bottle of water.

And I've been trying to watch what I eat. Mainly fruit, veggies, yogurt. I will try and do the bathtub soak for sure. Thanks for the wonderful ideas. Just need that info from the medics. I hope this topic is usefull to other people as the comming days promise to be hot as well. Thanks again, my world is cooler, now only 32 C in the apartment 

 

[navymich]

Follow me around and you might find the cooler weather.  I left Victoria while it was cool and rainy to go to Toronto where it was just hot and humid, only to arrive and find rain, wind and cool temps.  And of course, Vic gets the heat wave while I'm away.  Just as I leave TO, the temps go back up and yes, you guessed it, arrive in Vic to cool weather.  We were happy that it got up to 22 today, and now it's 9pm and I've had a sweatshirt on for the last hour.  

I hope you find a solution to keep you cool.  Take care of yourself.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Back before I had air conditioning when it was hot, I would lie with no sheets on the bed like a starfish and just try to slow down my breathing.  Kind of a mind over matter exercise.  How do you have your fans positioned?  Depending on how the breeze is going, you can set them up on opposite sides of the room facing opposite directions.  This can cause all of the air in the room to move in a circle. 
If all the air conditioners are sold, can you buy a dehumidifier?  Taking the moisture out of the air will make a huge difference.  You could also dig out your air mattress and sleep on the floor.  Bed mattresses hold heat. 
My mom always told us that eating pickles and other vinegar based foods helped keep you cool, because they thinned your blood.  However, at many times during my adult life some of her theories haven't held out so well.  :-\  Still though, when it gets hot, I crave anything sour.

 

[Jamie.Young]

Drink a Hot cup of Coffee, it forces your insides to cool itself down...worked for me. Drink something cold when its cold outside to warm yourself up aswell.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

cold cloth back of the neck

 

[Burrows]

Drink a Hot cup of Coffee, it forces your insides to cool itself down...worked for me. Drink something cold when its cold outside to warm yourself up aswell.

Sorry, but this seems like a good way to induce hypo/hyperthermia.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

actually I have heard others about the hot coffee thing.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Google is our friend:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/24273

In native tradition it's believed that if you drink a hot beverage on a very hot day your body temperature lowers in order to handle the hot drink. This would obviously make you feel cooler.

If instead you drink cold drinks on a hot day your body temperature increases to handle the cold drink which would make you feel much hotter. The same would hold true for drinking cold drinks on a cold day. The body would feel warmer because its temperature would increase.

The temperature of food or drink should never be excessively hot or cold. The extremes are bad for health and body organs. So "tepid" is best and perhaps this is why Native Indian traditional medicine is partially correct.

 

[Jamie.Young]

Well it worked for me, Somone at work told me about it and I did it, but then again it could have also been a placebo(sp?) effect.

 

[Chaz]

I also live in Ottawa
I live on the tenth floor of an apartment building and I do not have A/C as well
One trick I use, although extremely temporary, is to spray a light material sheet with water from the little hose on my kitchen faucet, and shove it in the freeze.
Leave it in there long enough and VOILA! Icy sheets!  ;D

Can be rather messy depending on how wet it is....

 

[career_radio-checker]

Thanks guys for all the tips. I took a cold bath and have a damp cloth around my neck and another one in the freezer. I Feel a lot better. I also did some searching and answered my own question about medical attention for heat exhaustion. I'll post it for the benefit of everyone living in Ontario
http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/Exvigilantguardian/documents/soldiers/heat_stress_directive.doc

Now it's off to steal some copper piping for my homemade Air Conditioner 

 

[couchcommander]

Just having "survived" a heat wave in Edmonton, and having worked/trekked through others...

Wear a hat. Once again, as it is very important, wear a hat, preferrably wide brimmed. Drink some poweraide (or whatever along those lines, as has been suggested) with your copious amounts of water (I *suggest* doubling what you're normally supposed to drink... in the end, drink whenever your thirsty).

No coffee, pop, etc.

At home to cool down, take a cold shower (or tub as has been suggested as well). Otherwise, put some ice packs under your arm pits, it'll cool you down real quick (don't fall asleep like that, and make sure to wrap them in a cloth, and remove them every 15-20 minutes).

For when you sleep, as has been suggested as well, go grab an ice block, put it in a casserole dish, and put it in front of your fan. Swamp cooler.

Once again, wear a hat, preferrably a wide brim.

 

[Klc]

Futureshop.ca still has stock of AC units, no free delivery anymore, but its only 3 day delivery if IIRC....

 

[George Wallace]

Futureshop.ca still has stock of AC units, no free delivery anymore, but its only 3 day delivery if IIRC....

That should do it.  Murphy's Law.  As soon as the AC unit arrives.....it'll snow.  Problem solved.    ;D

OK....not snow.....but get cool again.

 

[Red 6]

A couple of weeks ago, it was 105 degrees here in Oregon. This sort of temperature is extremely unusual for July in our neck of the woods. I finally had enough and drove over to Shopko and bought an $88 window mount a/c unit. It was worth every penny. We installed it in our bedroom and the dogs don't want to come out of there! A lot of times, if you're looking for something and the store is out of stock, they can give you an idea when it's due in.