Depression and the Heat Wave

By Merely Me Friday, July 22, 2011

- A
- A
- A

Hi everybody

Many of us in the states are experiencing record high temperatures this week. There are areas of the country with triple digit temps. Just wanted to send out a reminder to check on people who may be vulnerable to the excessive heat such as the elderly. those with chronic health conditions and young children. You also want to be sure that pets are able to get a respite from excessive heat.

Health Central writer Dorian Martin has written a very timely post on how to avoid heat related illnesses. This is very good information for anyone who is currently battling the heat.

Stay as cool as you are able. Drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. Try to limit your exposure to the heat and humidity outside. If you do venture outside please remember to put on your sunscreen.

How are you guys staying cool in this heat?

Here is a song to go along with our drastic rise in temperature.

Who remembers...Martha & the Vandellas with Heatwave?

Have a great weekend everyone.

Depression and Chronic Pain: An Interview with Karen Lee Richards

Comments (19) | Add comment

Paul

7/22/11 9:17pm

Well, this is coincidental. My air conditioning stopped conditioning last evening and today. The 90 Degrees Plus, which is not a rock band, followed me around inside all day, until about Six this evening when a stranger riding a red pickup truck rode into view and worked some magic on that caged-looking thing which sits outside the house and makes noise, or should.

Sort of like House with those electrically charged paddles of theirs which make a body jump and purr again.

It got up to 103 or so here, one app said 108, but that can't be, I'm still alive. Though walking around in your skivvies all day, because you had to, was kind of liberating. I just stayed away from windows.

It felt like Martha and The Vandellas was wailing in my house all day. Now she's outside where she belongs. I always liked that song, till now. :)

This ties in with your Anxiety post about electronic devices and high anxiety because it was an electrical part which failed, and not knowing if the repairman was going to make it here today. That is a good and factual post, too.

Merely Me

7/22/11 9:33pm

LOL

I am so sorrry for your lack of coolness. How did people live without air conditioning? I know I did for half my life. It got pretty darn hot.

I noticed that it is getting darker sooner. Autumn will be here...sometime in the future. Something to look forward to.

Stay cool!

Thanks for sharing. Have a good weekend.

Paul

7/22/11 11:37pm

Same here. We had window fans most of the time though and very bored older brothers and sisters who were appointed to sit and hold the water hose and spray us kids. However, they would try to relieve their boredom by spraying you in the face or other interesting things. The water was cold! You had to let them get you occasionally, otherwise they would say those terrible words, if you're not going to get in the water, I'm stopping. They had all the power. :) Autumn provides the best of days and colors. Piles of leaves, noises of crushing leaves in the dark by unseenapproaching creatures, usually a dog, but you could never be sure, and The Great Pumpkin. Coolness.

Merely Me

7/26/11 6:24pm

Sounds like fun!

But it is even too hot to play in the hose lately.

I do notice the days growing a little tiny bit shorter. And I, for one, am happy about it.

Love autumn...it is absolutely my favorite season.

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

7/22/11 10:56pm

Yesterday at 6PM, it was 50C/122F in Toronto. Welcome to climate change. Thank various divinities for AC.

Paul

7/22/11 11:25pm

Wow, Lene! That's the kind of heat which makes your shoes stick to the pavement. News reporters around here take their cameras out and take videos of themselves frying eggs on the sidewalks, in that type of heat, every year, as if the outcome might be different. Some innovative types try other dishes, like pizza. Thanks for the Farenheit comparison, many of us still haven't figured the conversions out. :)

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

7/23/11 12:18pm

I'd vaguely planned to go out and try the egg thing, but didn't have any (I'm allergic) and it was too hot to run around to find one.

Merely Me

7/26/11 6:26pm

Did I read that right? That is seriously scary hot. How are you coping my friend? This must be a record I am sure. And August isn't even here yet.

With all our technology the one thing we still can't do is control the weather. I guess we will all have to adapt.

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

7/26/11 9:15pm

That was the humidex (heat index in American) - we missed beating the old record by .2 degrees. Rats!

anne1123

7/23/11 2:42pm

What about the subways in this heat!!! The trains are air conditioned but the platforms are miserable. I had to take the subway to my therapist yesterday and waiting for the train was stifling. My therapist was surprised I made it. Everyone is suffering from the heat. How did we ever live without air conditioning?

Merely Me

7/26/11 6:29pm

Hi Anne

I don't know. I never had AC until I was living on my own in my twenties. Never had central air until I was in my thirties. There were some long hot nights.

I am hearing of some deaths caused by the heat of people who actually have air conditioning but don't turn it on because they are afraid of the electricity bill. Not sure what our bill will be this season....I can guess it will be outrageous.

How are you coping with the heat?

Kyle

7/24/11 1:02am

This is the first day of the year that I actually could have used sunscreen. Me and my sister went to an outdoor wedding and we both gut burned.

I don't burn very easily typically but I don't tan either.

stardust

7/24/11 11:17am

We live in the southeast and in the summer it generally runs in the high nineties. A cool day is considered 86 degrees. The heatwave has pumped the heat up a bit.

We have central air for which I'm thankful but the summer electric bills can choke us. The multiple sclerosis will make me sick, weak, shaking, etc., but like most others I just stay inside to avoid the searing heat, and say prayers for those so vulnerable to the heat and don't have the "luxury" of cooling off in some air conditioning.

Yes, the song "Heatwave" was a huge musical love of mine at 14. I used to sing it rpeatedly to myself at night when I was falling to sleep. Of course, it now reflects new meaning, and it is not not such a good one.

We are moving back to the northeast this year. I'll take some snow and curl up in front of a fireplace with hot chocolate, an afghan, and stay warm! Looks pretty good about now.

Have a good week. Gina

Merely Me

7/26/11 6:34pm

Hi Kyle

How is your sunburn Kyle? Yes absolutely...gotta use the sunscreen. This weather is likely to fry your skin like fried chicken in a deep fryer. Now there is a pretty picture.

Hey Gina

Yes...winter seems wonderful now. At least you can still go outside in the winter if you bundle up. It is just too hot to do anything outside even swim. I am having my fair share of MS related symptoms too due to the heat. My extremities start to go numb just going from the house to the car. And it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

Good to hear from you.

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/25/11 2:14pm

Hi MM, thanks for reminding us of our neighbors in this heat! I also worry about our pets, and we have a neighbor that keeps his dog in an unshaded cemented area in temps of 108 and higher, which we have frequently in summer. We live in the high desert and triple digits in summer is the way it is. Since my neighbor won't help out his dog, we constantly wet down his area with our hose so the dog won't burn his pads or sink into heat exhaustion.

The neighbor won't make any changes and feels a dog can handle this and it makes me furious! You can tell the affect it has on his poor dog when all he can do is lie around on burning hot cement, because he's very apathetic with no energy.

Animal control will send him notices, but they won't change their ways. So we just keep doing what we can with water for him.

Let's not forget man's best friend, where would we be without them????

Paul

7/25/11 2:23pm

It hurts to read this, Pam. The only difference is, the dog can't talk and explain how miserable it is feeling, or what it needs. No animal would choose to live like that and we shouldn't make them. I'm glad, and so I's the dog, that you help where you can. Now about this heat, I think I'll go hose myself down!

Paul

7/25/11 2:25pm

Merely Me

7/26/11 6:39pm

Oh that is horrible Pam!

Can't animal control protect this dog? Or the ASPCA? It is a good thing you are helping this animal because it will likely die without your assistance.

Please let us know what happens. It sounds like a terrible situation for this poor dog.

suzzy

7/26/11 7:16pm

YES it is it was 108 here today an i hear next month is going to be hotter.

Depression and the Heat Wave

Ask a Question