ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Summer doesn’t start until well into June, but summer-style heat can appear much sooner. New Mexico’s Department of Health is offering tips on how to handle the heat.
While enough heat can make anyone sick, some New Mexicans are more vulnerable to heat sickness than others, the Department of Health (DOH) warns. That includes outdoor workers, older adults, infants, pregnant individuals, those with chronic medical conditions, and outdoor athletes.
The DOH says there are many ways to combat the heat. From investing in air conditioning to planting shady trees, there are ways to lower temperatures around the home.
Drawing the shades on your windows is an easy way to lower indoor temperatures. And the DOH recommends you make sure any A/C maintenance is done sooner, rather than later.
If you can’t avoid the heat by staying indoors, make sure you drink water and take rests in the shade. Older individuals and those on medication can talk to their doctors about medications that may make it harder for the body to handle the heat. That can include diuretics, sedatives, and some heart and high blood pressure medicines, the DOH says.
And of course, don’t leave children or pets in the car. Even if outside temperatures are mild and in the 70s, the temperature inside a car can pass 100 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour, the DOH says.
