Heat myths in check 5 popular heat myths that persist
It's hottest outside at midday, draughts make you sick and an ice-cold beer helps to cool you down. We've all heard these statements about the heat. But are they really true?
blue News fact-checks five of the most popular heat myths: don't believe these big temperature misconceptions.
1. the myth of the midday heat
Wild West weather with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer - get out of the midday sun or it'll be blasting! But the western heroes can keep their high noon, because here the highest temperatures are only reached between 5 and 6 pm. Meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann explained on his blog that the sun is not at its highest in this country at midday and continues to heat up the ground afterwards anyway.
But beware: UV radiation is still strongest at midday.
2nd bone of contention: draughts
"Close the window! It's draughty and you don't want to catch a cold," is something many people have probably had to listen to. Wrongly so, as the health magazine "SRF Puls" explains. The flowing air doesn't make you ill, but allows sweat to evaporate on the skin, which cools it down.
If we catch a virus, the body saves energy to fight it. The blood circulation in our arms and legs is reduced and we freeze. If the illness breaks out, some patients believe that the cold draught is the trigger.
3. alcohol in the heat is completely taboo
Let's get this straight straight away: If you drink a bottle of booze on your balcony at 5 p.m. when it's 34 degrees Celsius, you shouldn't be surprised at the physical frustration that follows.
But if you keep an eye on your water balance, you can drink in large quantities, according to an expert in the "WAZ" newspaper. The reason: alcohol removes water from the body. "You should drink half a liter of water for every half liter (panash) - or wine as a spritzer."
4. babies don't need to be covered up in the heat
This is a serious misconception that can be exacerbated by draughts. No, we are not contradicting our previous tip, because what can be dangerous for babies at night in the heat is cooling down through perspiration. Babies have difficulty regulating their body temperature, sweat profusely at first and then cool down extremely quickly when they are naked and the liquid evaporates.
Draughts exacerbate this effect. A bodysuit that covers the torso is the minimum for babies, whose temperature can be felt most reliably at the nape of the neck.
5. cold liquid cools the body
Is a mineral from the fridge and a cold shower the right antidote to the heat? No, because on the one hand, we have to heat what is cold to body temperature, which is why Bedouins in the desert drink warm tea, for example.
In the shower, the cold water causes the blood vessels to contract in order to store the heat. This increases the pulse rate, which even causes sweat to form on the forehead after a shower.
