CLEVELAND — The extreme heat has many of us looking for ways to stay cool, but how do you tell the difference between the truth and a myth?
We asked a doctor from the Cleveland Clinic to help us determine what's real from what's fake.
Have you ever heard that drinking ice cold water is a no-no?
Some people think it’s a shock to the system on hot days and you should stick to warmer water, but Cleveland Clinic Emergency Physician Baruch Fertel says cold water is just fine and it's actually refreshing.
“I don't know of any studies that have shown any difference in, in what temperature the water is,” Fertel said.
Many think if they stay inside all day, they’re totally protected from the heat.
Well that can be true because they are not being directly exposed to the sun, but they still have to make sure to drink enough water.
“If you're not engaging in strenuous activity and the home temperature is cool, and you don't go out. Probably not as high risk. However, it's important for people to maintain hydration and you'd be surprised you go out for a second. Yeah, you get the newspaper. You go out to get the mail, something like that. You just want to make sure and especially through windows, you can have the sun shining and people may not realize how warm they truly are, how warm it is in their apartment,” Fertel said.
And here’s another – wearing lighter colors keep you cooler.
This one is actually true.
“The lighter colors don't absorb the heat as much as the darker colors do,” Fertel said.
Another thing you might have heard is that putting ice cubes on your pulse points keeps you cool.
Fertel said he hasn’t heard of that tip before, so he recommends sticking to loose fitting, light colored clothing and drinking water.
