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Well, unfortunately we know that extreme heat can have severe health consequences for people
and we know that the people that are most vulnerable include the elderly, people with
chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. People taking
particular medications, particularly some for high blood pressure or for epilepsy, pregnant
women and young children and babies are most susceptible to the severe effects of heat
and this is because their bodies find it harder to regulate their body temperature. So, I
just wanted to give you some common sense tips about how everyone can try and make sure
they stay healthy in the extreme heat. So, the first point is drink plenty of water.
So, even if you don't feel thirsty, make sure you keep sipping water throughout the day.
If your doctor normally limits the amount of fluids you drink, just check with him or
her -- your GP -- as to how much fluid you should drink. If you don't have air-conditioning
at home, if you can get to an air-conditioned centre, such as a shopping centre or a library
or some local governments have designated community cool centres. That's a great idea,
if you're able to get there safely. If you're at home without air-conditioning, make sure
you close curtains and blinds from early in the day to block out the day to block out
the sun and you can use wet towels and a fan to keep yourself cool and/or put your feet
in a bucket of cool water. Of course, a key message is don't ever leave
children, animals or adults or anyone in parked cars. The temperature inside a park car escalates
very, very rapidly to very dangerous levels in just a few moments.
Stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day. So, if you don't have to go out,
cancel any non-urgent appointments. If you do have to go out, make sure you wear a hat,
stay in the shade as much as you can and take plenty of water to drink with you.
It's a good idea to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day and, obviously, cold
meals, such as salads, are most suitable in the hot weather. And, of course, it's an opportune
time to remind everybody about the rules of food safety. To make sure you keep hot food
hot and promptly refrigerate food so that it's not sitting out on the bench because,
unfortunately, the hot conditions mean the that growth of bacteria will be encouraged.
So, remember that and, obviously, wash your hands carefully before preparing food.
If you can avoid strenuous activity outside, such as home improvements, gardening, regular
exercise, it's best to put that off until the extreme heat conditions have subsided.
And, of course, look out for any information from emergency services about bush fires or
any other information during a heat wave. If we all follow these tips, I'm sure that
we can all stay healthy and that we can minimise any effects on our own health.