As the UK braces for temperatures nearing 40°C, many are turning to fans and cold showers for relief. However, consumer champion Which? warns that a common mistake—turning the shower dial to the coldest setting—could actually make you feel hotter.
Why Cold Showers Backfire
According to Which?, subjecting your body to extreme cold triggers a natural response to retain heat. "If your body is subjected to extreme cold, it will try to regulate its core temperature by retaining heat," the organisation explains. "This will increase blood flow to your skin to warm it up, making you feel even hotter."
Instead, Which? recommends using cool or lukewarm water and then letting yourself air dry rather than towel-drying. "The action of water evaporating off your skin will create a cooling effect on the surface of your skin," it adds.
Sleeping Naked: Another Heatwave Mistake
Which? also advises against sleeping naked during a heatwave. While it may seem logical to strip off, wearing thin, loose, cotton-based clothing is more effective. "They will act as a wick for sweat, increasing the surface area for sweat to evaporate from and helping you feel cooler," the consumer champion states. For hot sleepers, investing in a cooling mattress is also suggested.
Recognising Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke
The NHS warns that heat exhaustion symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, excessive sweating, pale clammy skin, cramps, high temperature, thirst, and irritability. "If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down and given fluids," it advises.
Heatstroke, a medical emergency, presents with a very high temperature, hot skin without sweating, fast breathing and heartbeat, confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness. The NHS urges immediate medical help for such symptoms.
With temperatures set to soar, these tips from Which? and the NHS can help Britons stay safe and cool without inadvertently making the heat worse.
