Non-Fiction by Janice Macdonald

How not to fizzle when the sidewalks sizzle - When it's hot, drink water, bathe or wear cool-down clothing

By JANICE MACDONALD, Special Advertising Sections Writer

Have you had it with the triple-digit temperatures and their sidekicks, the extreme heat advisories? Are you beginning to think that the summer of 2006 will never end?

The good news is August is half over. The bad news is September in California can also be very hot. So can October. This, after all, is Southern California, land of the endless summer.

While hot weather might be no more than a temporary discomfort for some, it can be life threatening for the elderly and those with medical conditions. It far outranks the more headline-grabbing tornadoes and floods as a leading cause of death. From 1992 to 2001, according to the latest NOAA Weather Service figures, 2,190 people in the U.S. died from excessive heat, compared to 880 deaths from floods and 570 from tornadoes. About 370 deaths occur in the US every year due to heatstroke, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of all victims are 65 years and older.

That's because sweating is the way the body cools itself, but age slows down the systems for regulating temperature. This puts the elderly at risk during hot weather, said Dr. Sonia Sehgal, a geriatrician and internist at UC Irvine's Senior Health Center. "They can be in crisis and not know it, because they often don't start sweating until their temperature is already elevated," she said.

Medications taken for Parkinson's disease, and diuretics taken for heart conditions and blood pressure control, can also affect the body's ability to cool down, Dr. Sehgal said.

Hydration is the hot-weather mantra, and water is the liquid of choice. Drink plenty of water and don't wait until you're thirsty, Dr. Sehgal urged. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which increase the body's need for fluids. When fluids aren't replaced, dehydration occurs; symptoms include nausea and loss of consciousness.

West Hills resident Carolyn Green, 57, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997, said hot weather makes her feel particularly sluggish — as it does with many people with MS — so she has become expert on how to cope with the heat. She restricts her outdoor activities, drinks plenty of liquids, wears light-color clothing — which doesn't absorb heat — takes dips in the pool and uses an ice-filled cervical collar to keep herself comfortable.

You can also take a cold bath or shower or even lay on a towel filled with ice to lower your core body temperature.

Air conditioning, of course, is the surest rest way to beat the heat, but for people on tight budgets, this can be the first thing to go. When a heat wave hits, these people should head to a mall, library or senior center.

Dr. Barbara Giesser, an associate clinical professor of neurology at UCLA, added if you exercise outside in hot weather, you should supplement water with a sports drink to replace electrolytes lost through sweating.

Here are a few other ways to take the sizzle out of summer:

• Get misty: You could cool down by misting your face with tap water or go more upscale with products such as Evian Mineral Water Spray, Lather's Cucumber & Ginseng Facial Mist or Caudalíe's Eau De Beauté mister with grape extracts and essential oils. Amore Pacific's Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System delivers a cool mist that cleanses and hydrates.
• What a cool car: Getting into your car after it's been baking in a parking lot is a sure way to have a meltdown. If it's safe, leave the windows open, but if you have lots of extra cash, you could purchase a Lexus LS 430. It has climate-controlled front seats that have cool air blowing through perforations in the leather seat covers, providing comfy-cool seating within 25 seconds of getting into the car. Cadillac and Lincoln are among the other luxury brands offering seat-cooling features.
• Cooling products: You can buy cooling caps, blankets and wrist bands, many of which have implanted gel-like crystals that expand and stay cold when submerged in cool tap water for 10 to 20 minutes. Among other products, Body Cooler (www.bodycooler.com) has a neck collar that extends down the spine, which cools down the entire upper back.

If you need to be outside all day, you might consider a cooling vest. There are a number of models available. Some cool with gel packs that must be refrigerated or set in cold water before being slipped into the vest's pockets. Others are made with special fabrics that wick moisture away from the skin.

• Pull down the shades: Department of Energy guidelines say close the drapes and blinds during the day to prevent heat build-up. Also, use heat-producing appliances only in the morning. Use portable and ceiling fans to circulate air and turn off lights when they are not needed. If it is safe to do so, leave windows open at night to cool the house down.

One last piece of advice: Friends of older people — as well as people of all ages —should stay in touch with each other during a heat wave.