Keeping Yourself Safe in the Heat of Summer

Technically it still may be spring, and summer does not officially begin until June 20 but the heat is beginning to already feel more like summer, the hottest season of the year and when people participate and enjoy many outdoor activities and are in the sun a lot. Where summer days offer us a great deal of opportunities to enjoy various outdoor activities, it also can be dangerous to one’s health if proper protective measures are not taken. With this in mind, our newest safety series will explore various ways we can continue to remain safe in the Alabama sun. Being in the heat for a prolonged period of time can potentially be harmful to your health. As you spend more time under the sun, you will probably begin sweating an indicator that your body is cooling off from the heat, but too much sweating is not good for your health if you are not drinking enough water – making dehydration a major health concern. In fact, the Mayo Clinic reported that too much sweating is a main cause of dehydration and that “hot, humid weather increases the amount you sweat and the amount of fluid you lose.” Therefore, making...