By Staff Writer Kaylee Wagner
With temperatures rising, it can be difficult to know what you can do to stay cool! Besides wearing really cool sunglasses to stay looking “cool”, there are other ways to make sure you don’t get overheated this summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Heat- related deaths and illness are preventable, yet more than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the United States.” Although, don’t let this number alarm you, try taking action to keep cool this summer by either staying in air-conditioned areas, drinking more water than usual, or even limiting your stove and oven use. Even though these are just some factors of staying cool in the summer, another important aspect to remember is to wear light-weight, comfortable, and light-colored clothes. Mostly because it can get so hot outside that if you’re wearing heavy and dark-colored clothing, you could suffer from having a heat stroke. Some other helpful tips to stay cool this summer is to wear your sunscreen! If you’re like me, and don’t like wearing sunscreen due to the smell of tackiness, put it on anyway! The risks of not wearing your sunscreen outweigh the discomfort of wearing it. According to the CDC, “Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen if SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out.” Now that you know a little more about how to keep yourself “cool” during the summer, enjoy the warm weather and a break from school!