Tips To Keep Cool

Houston summers can be very hot, and extreme heat can be particulary hard on the elderly, who are more vunerable to heat's effects and who often have health conditions made worse by high temperatures. If you have elderly neighbors, please check on them during very hot days.

The Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs and the National Weather Service offer these tips:

• Dress for summer in lightweight, light-colored clothing, which reflects heat & sunlight.
  
• Drink plenty of water and nonalcoholic, noncaffienated fluids.
  
• Take a cool shower or bath to help cool you down.
  
• If you do not have air conditioning, spend some time each day in public places that are air conditioned, like libraries and shopping malls. See below for a list of cooling centers.
  
• If you do have an air conditioner, but are worried about high utility bills, save electricity by only cooling the one room in which you spend most of your time, and use towels under doors to keep cool air in your room.

Be careful using fans in very hot weather.

Temperatures above 90 degrees Farenheit can cause heat stress. At these temperatures, a fan without air conditioning can cause heat stress rather than reducing it, acting like a convection oven. If you must use a fan in an extremely hot room, use it to blow hot air out a window or door.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services gives good information on why the elderly are more susceptible to harm from the heat, and how you can help.