Worried about how you’re going to stay cool this summer?! If you’ve been following us on Instagram, you know we have not stopped bitching about a massive heat wave that’s hitting the Pacific North West. We’re hitting record high temps with 108 (!!) degrees here in Seattle and the deeply unfortunate part of that for us is…we don’t have air conditioning. Not only that but, it turns out, most Seattleites don’t have air conditioning (why Seattle, why?!) – a point not well observed by us previous to these temps.
POTS, one of the autonomic conditions we have, makes us not do well in the heat. We work hard at bumping up our blood pressure even on a regular day, and we’re working overtime this week to try and avoid a major crash. The sun also effects us very poorly due to our Lupus diagnosis, so basically this isn’t our season. We know that we are not alone in this – a lot of those in the chronic illness community also have heat related issues and we feel for you all.
Because so many people don’t do well with the summer temperatures, we put together a little list to hopefully help you try to stay cool and feel well during the intense heat.
1. Vitassium By SaltStick salt capsules
Vitassium By SaltStick salt capsules are our first go-tos. We usually take 2x in morning and 2x night but we’ve upped those numbers to help us stay upright during the heat. These salt pills are amazing as they do not cause nausea or a sore stomach, which weirdly a lot of salt pills do. These are great tool to keep you from getting dehydrated.
* They also offer a great FREE option that you can sign up for, called Vitassium Club.
- Free shipping on orders over $50
- 20% off discount Vitassium and other SaltStick Electrolytes
- Access to medical literature and updates on new products/ promotions
(In the application, please write that you heard about Vitassium here on Two Being Healthy -thank you!)
2. Electrolytes
Next we’re on to plain old electrolytes. We’re adding Ultima to every glass of water we’re drinking right now. In addition to that, we’re also leaning on the Salt Stick fast chews for electrolytes with a higher sodium content. You really can’t overuse electrolytes when it is hot out – they help support your body and allow it to use liquids correctly which is what we need. People may think they don’t want to hold on to liquid because of water weight, but it’s actually the opposite. If you are hydrated and using water correctly, your body won’t be shocked into bloating and will shed extra liquid you’re holding on to.
3. Cooling vest
To be honest, a cooling vest isn’t something we have used before (or really needed before in Seattle), but we’ve received a lot DM’s about them in response to our stories (about us dying in this heat), so we’re adding it to the list! We’ve linked the most recommended cooling vest from Amazon down below!
4. The OOLER
This one is more of an investment item, but people also spend a ton of time in their bed which helps to justify the cost. The OOLER is a sleep system with a hydro-powered thermal range that operates from 55-115°F (13-46°C). You can customize the temperate on their app and select your desired temperature to match your sleep schedule. An awesome feature is that you and your partner can actually pick different temperatures which will only affect your own half of the bed!
5. Portable AC unit/swamp cooler
Unfortunately, we were not on top of our game and didn’t grab one of these options pre the massive heat wave. We looked into getting one but they were pretty much sold out everywhere, but we’d kill right now for a portable AC unit or swamp cooler to sit in front of. There are lots of great options that can accommodate different room sizes and are a great to help you stay cool this summer. We linked one of our favorites below.
6. Check your numbers!
Even if you don’t have POTS or a condition that is affected by heat, it’s a good idea to sporadically track your blood pressure and heart rate. The two things to look for would be an increase in heart rate and drop in blood pressure. If this is happening to you, hydrate! *Also, it’s good to keep an eye on your numbers if you are prone to high blood pressure.
7. Caffeine and alcohol intake
Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake during the heat. Both of these delicious and fun drinks are also diuretics so if you’re drinking them, be aware you’re also losing water and include a couple extra glasses of water and salt pills or electrolytes to rebalance.
8. Cold towel
The classic ol’ put a wet washcloth in freezer trick. Not anything new, but definitely helpful in cooling off your body when placed at the back of the neck or wrists. We’ve been doing this non stop (in between doing cold showers).
If you’re dealing with hot temperatures without access to air conditioning, hang in there. We’re definitely feeling your pain this week and doing what we can to stay cool and keep from crashing (like sitting in coffee shops) – but not going to lie, currently it’s rough out here.
Hopefully we get some much needed cooler temps soon and we hope you stay cool this summer season as well!
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