Key TakeawaysIf you don’t have air conditioning, staying cool during recurrent heat waves can be a challenge.Replenishing fluids and electrolytes throughout the day can ensure your body stays hydrated as it works hard to cool you off.You can make small changes in the home to help block the heat out, such as installing reflective window shutters and switching to LED lightbulbs.

Key Takeaways

If you don’t have air conditioning, staying cool during recurrent heat waves can be a challenge.Replenishing fluids and electrolytes throughout the day can ensure your body stays hydrated as it works hard to cool you off.You can make small changes in the home to help block the heat out, such as installing reflective window shutters and switching to LED lightbulbs.

With heat waves on the rise, staying cool at home isn’t just for comfort, it’s a necessity.

In extreme temperatures, heat can compromise the body’s ability to regulate temperature and result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.

But that doesn’t mean you should miss out on summer fun or feel forced to ramp up your air conditioning costs. From small, everyday changes to sustainable home modifications, here are a few ways to stay cool without air conditioning, according to experts.

Stay Hydrated

You can lose electrolytes through sweating, which can leave you feeling depleted, according to John Schumann, MD, executive medical director at Oak Street Health.

Both water and sodium (an electrolyte) need to be replaced to restore a normal level of total body water. This can be done through eating and drinking.

But not all beverages are created equal. Alcohol, for example, dehydrates you much faster in the heat. “Resist that ice-cold margarita or mixed drink and opt for mocktails instead,” Schumann said.

Another good tip is to bring an insulated water bottle with you everywhere you go during the warmer months, according toDavid Seitz, MD, acting medical director at Ascendant Detox. Not only can it keep your drinks cold longer, but having it handy can help you remember to stay hydrated throughout the day, he said.

Heat Waves Can Be Dangerous, Even If You’re Young

Avoid Getting Sunburns

Sunburns can affect your body’s ability to regulate its temperature, according to Schumann. When you have sunburns, your body diverts fluid toward the burn in an effort to heal the damaged area and leaves you with less water available for sweating.

Even if you’re just going out for a bit or heading out to the yard, protect yourself with sunscreen, long sleeves, or a hat, Schumann said. When the day is at its hottest, around lunch hours, seek shady areas. If you plan to exercise outside, try to do it in the early morning or evening to avoid heat exhaustion.

Use Ice and Wet Rags on Your Pulse Points

On a hot day, your blood vessels may dilate to allow for more blood to flow near the skin’s surface, which allows the warm blood to cool off and release heat, according to Schumann. This is why you might look more pink or red when you feel hot.

“Placing an ice cube on a wrist or neck could accelerate that cooling process because those are key areas where blood vessels are already anatomically close to the surface of the skin, and even closer when they are dilated,” Schumann said.

These areas sensitive to temperature are also known as “pulse points,” such as your wrists, neck, temple, and armpits, Seitz added. “Applying cold washrags or water to your pulse points can help cool down the rest of your body easily and quickly,” he said.

When Does Humidity Become Dangerous to Your Health?

Take Cold Showers

A study in 2016 found that taking a cold shower is the best way to treat patients with exertional heat stroke if cold-water immersion isn’t available. If you’re just looking to cool down on a hot day, a simple cold shower can do the trick.

Cold showers or baths can bring down your body temperature and help you feel refreshed and cool in the hot summer months, Seitz said. To help your body self-regulate and cool off, you can also put some cold water in a spray bottle and spritz yourself throughout the day. Similar to when you sweat, when the water evaporates, the surface of the skin cools.

Heat Exhaustion vs. Heatstroke: What’s the Difference?

Keep the Heat Out

One of the best things you can do for your home is to block the sun’s energy from coming inside, according toDavid Sailor, PhD, director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University.

“Those are typically one-time purchases or insulation so they’re very sustainable,” he said.

Use Reflective Materials for the Outside of Your House

While not inexpensive, re-roofing strategically to reflect energy off the roof can make a house significantly cooler, according to Sailor.

Especially for older homes that are not as well insulated, using spectrally selected paints on the body of the house as well as the roofs can help diffuse and reflect the heat of the sun.

“You can have a black roof that reflects up to 40% of the energy of the sun as compared to the typical black roof that could reflect 5–8%,” Sailor said.

How to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

Switch to Energy Efficient Appliances

While not running certain large appliances like the dryer or oven can prevent the indoor temperature from rising, it’s not always practical, especially for families that largely rely on them.

Instead, Sailor recommends focusing on well-insulated, energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. If possible, when it’s time to make a switch, look for appliances that are more energy efficient, meaning they require less energy to function and as such produce less heat.

A smaller place to start with can be switching to LED bulbs, Sailor suggested. They require an initial investment, but they last very long, use less electricity, and emit less heat into your house.

Box fans are also a great way to help circulate air and cool you off at home. Sailor recommends placing a wet rag over a fan, basically creating an evaporative cooler. As the fan blows through the wet rag, the water cools the air, much like the water trickling down over the mesh of an evaporative cooler does. In climates that are not too humid, an evaporative cooler is an affordable option for cooling off, Sailor said.

What This Means For YouEven if you don’t have access to air conditioning, there are various ways to help you cool off. You can take cold showers, apply ice and wet towels on your pulse points, and make changes to your home that can help block out heat.

What This Means For You

Even if you don’t have access to air conditioning, there are various ways to help you cool off. You can take cold showers, apply ice and wet towels on your pulse points, and make changes to your home that can help block out heat.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.Heat and health.McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al.National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for the physically active.J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-52.9.02Butts CL, McDermott BP, Buening BJ, et al.Physiologic and perceptual responses to cold-shower cooling after exercise-induced hyperthermia.J Athl Train. 2016;51(3):252-257. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-51.4.01

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.World Health Organization.Heat and health.McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al.National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for the physically active.J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-52.9.02Butts CL, McDermott BP, Buening BJ, et al.Physiologic and perceptual responses to cold-shower cooling after exercise-induced hyperthermia.J Athl Train. 2016;51(3):252-257. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-51.4.01

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

World Health Organization.Heat and health.McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al.National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for the physically active.J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-52.9.02Butts CL, McDermott BP, Buening BJ, et al.Physiologic and perceptual responses to cold-shower cooling after exercise-induced hyperthermia.J Athl Train. 2016;51(3):252-257. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-51.4.01

World Health Organization.Heat and health.

McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al.National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: fluid replacement for the physically active.J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-52.9.02

Butts CL, McDermott BP, Buening BJ, et al.Physiologic and perceptual responses to cold-shower cooling after exercise-induced hyperthermia.J Athl Train. 2016;51(3):252-257. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-51.4.01

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