There is a long list of preventable deaths and illness that we should always be paying attention to. One of those preventable illnesses is heat exposure. During the summer extreme exposure to heat can get a lot of folks in trouble. According to the Centers of Disease Control, between 1979 and 2003 over 8,000 citizens died from excessive heat exposure. That’s more deaths then from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. In 2001 alone there were 300 deaths that were attributed to excessive heat exposure.

Most of these deaths could have been avoided with just some simple precautions. You might not think you’re at risk but someone you know could be that’s why you need to be aware of your surroundings and what your body is trying to tell you when the temperature rises. You should also be sharing this information with those who are most vulnerable which would be the very young or the very old.

To protect yourself you should be drinking plenty of fluids especially water. Don’t wait until you realize you’re thirsty. By then you’re already dehydrated. Keeping a pitcher or jug of water handy is the best option to avoid the thirst. If you’re continuing with your exercise regime then you should increase your water intake when the thermometer rises. What you should avoid are drinks with alcohol or sugar because these actually cause your body to lose more fluid. Also note that extremely cold drinks could result in stomach cramps if gulped down in hot weather.

Your best bet is to get somewhere that has the AC blasting. Places like malls, libraries and movie theatres are great escapes when the sun gets high in the sky and the heat blazes. Taking refuge in those places could also be a great relief to your electric bills. Why crank your AC when you can go somewhere that cranks it for you?

When you get back home you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a good air circulation going. The best air conditioner in the world won’t amount to much if that cool air has to fight its way around your home or apartment. It might seem like all you have to do is pop the AC in a window and turn it on but direction and flow are key issues to get the most out of your AC. To insure you’ve got good air flow you should strip away the clutter out of your home. That’s where Junk King Capital District can lend a hand.

Junk King is the professional junk hauling company based here in the Albany area. They’re happy to break a sweat for you if that means finally ridding your home of junk. You’ll be amazed at how much a difference a junk-free home can mean when it comes to cooling down.