To wonder how some people cope well in the heat and others don't.

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I'm totally wiped out with the heat I've spent the afternoon on bed with a splitting headache feeling like I do when I have heatstroke. I drink plenty of fluids and wear a hat etc. I don't stay in full sun, but it still gets me.

Ds2 is the same, but ds1 and dh just potter on as normal

I see people out and about quite happy, whereas I'm knackered, sweating and trying to find drinks and paracetamol.

I'm happy that the weather's nice, but wish I could cope better.

My friend is a doctor and to stop my heat headaches she told me to have some salt (like when you have tequila!) - headaches go really quickly!

Give it a try and tell me if it works for you too!!

I hate it, I feel horrendous, had a migraine yesterday, after sports day today I have come home taken some seriously strong painkillers and gone to bed. I am another red head whose face often matches my hair. At work I am the thermometor you can tell how hot the ward s by the colour of my face.

I have 2yo twins, and one of them just goes pinker and pinker and grouchier and grouchier, the other one goes blonde and TANNED instantly (even smothered in Factor 50, his bum went brown, it's like his body just produces melanin on sight of the sun) and mostly runs around nekkid with a massive grin on his face.

What I find very useful for a short-term fix is to run the cold tap over the inside of my wrists. There are quite large veins close to the surface there, so if you can chill the blood running through them a little then it can make your whole body feel (slightly) cooler.

Does anyone else get down at this time of the year? I'm the only person I know who gets SAD during the summer.

Hm. I was born in winter, I have VERY fair skin and green eyes (exclusively northern European heritage, from various parts), I'm quite warm-blooded (always have warm feet and hands even in the depths of winter and I don't feel the cold), I really don't tan and I love summer...

I did grow up in Australia though, maybe I've just learned tactics to deal with it? I think it's partly about how you deal with it.

I hate sitting in the sun for example (aforementioned non-tanning skin), but it's so nice to be WARM. So I find somewhere shady with a bit of breeze if I can, or use a fan, and enjoy it. Inside I make sure I always create a cross-breeze with windows open on both sides of the house to get the air flowing.

If I sit in the sun, in addition to burning I just get overheated which is no fun. I don't know anyone that can sit in the sun for hours on end and enjoy it, even my DH who tans very dark.

The clothes you wear make a difference too - I've seen a lot of people in the last week or so wearing very little (tiny shorts, vest top) and that makes you hotter, not cooler... loose cotton shirts / loose-ish shorts or cotton sundresses and a hat are far cooler. Definitely no manmade fabrics (anywhere incl underwear) and always loose floaty things.

And I second what everyone said about not moving too fast in the heat - it's a more languid type of movement, you don't want to be in a hurry. And don't fret about a bit of sweat, if you ignore it you'll hate the heat less. Then have a nice cool shower or tepid bath to rinse off...

No Betty, I do too! Thought I was the only one.... It's excactly the symptoms they list for SAD, but that's how I feel as soon as the days start getting longer, I asked my GP about it, he smirked at me and just said no

betty you're not the only one, I get it too.
I've been googling about it this week because I couldn't work out why everyone else was feeling so great about the weather and I'm feeling so utterly miserable.

I used to love it when younger, but getting older I have become less tolerant. Although my 84 year-old neighbour is like a spring chicken in this heat .

I wilt when it's humid and have no energy. Also not much appetite and have breathing difficulties. A fresh breeze and I'm 20 years younger and all the problems disappear.

Did hear that the muggyness here in the SE should improve due to a change in the wind direction to NE bringing a fresher stronger breeze.
Thank goodness

RumAndBoak-Is it mandatory to have the tequila with it? Because I think my headaches would go away very quickly if so.

I don't get too sweaty but the heat does make me grumpy. I have lymph problems though, which means that my cankles are swollen like a balloon at the best of times - the heart and humidity just makes it worse, not to mention uncomfortable.

I look at all the people, whatever their shape or size, who can rock shorts, dresses and skirts above floor length and just feel really sad at having to swathe myself in trousers and maxi things.

I'm loving it. Not in a kind of wow this is a nice novelty, but in a kind of 'at last, I'm not longer miserable and may even remove my cardigan for a short time (but will never leave home without it).

It's like my normal. What I wait for every year just to be stable.

I'm hopeless in the heat. I'm quite happy and able to stay cool in the garden in a lot of shade but I'm so pale I'm practically see through so I can burn very easily and even when slathered in Factor 50.

Humidity is the worst though! Fortunately we're not managing too badly at night here

Nope Mhysa. I am june born and I'm trying my hardest not to complain because of the rain over the last 3 years. But I'm flagging... I put it down to coming from a long line of dark haired pale skinned Irish peasants.

I have been sitting since 3pm as too stifling to do anything. Just felt my feet and ankles are swollen. On with my support knee highs then

Humid heat makes people sweat much more than a dry heat. The latter known to be healthier and not such a strain on the body.

And I'm finally thinking seriously about taking up running.
I do no exercise because my house is tiny and I hate hate hate the British cold miserable weather so never go out if I can help it.

I think some of it is a climatisation. My nephew is over from Italy where the temp in the city he lives in is 40 oc at the moment. They don't have air conditioning.my niece would wear a light sweater in this temperature.
I don't like the heat much but this temperature feels ok to me.maybe a bit too hot in the sun but not unbearable. Eh on the other hand thinks 21oc is scorching

rum !
I tried the salt thing & it worked!!
Thank you ! I've had a headache all day!

I have dark skin & tan easily-but I cannot stand the heat at all.

Find it exhausting!

I'm a red hair verging on see through skin. Add the heat induced all over urticaria and I get grumpy

I was born in deepest mid-winter and I'm a horrible sweaty mess. I had to do sample work for some freelancing today and almost cried at how hot and sweaty and tired I am.

I rarely eat crisps, but I bought some yesterday and since I started on my first pack the headache that I'd had since Friday went. I must think of a better way to get my salt than crisps.

Is anyone else obsessively checking the long-range weather forecast?

I would think its to do with weight mostly. At the end of the day most people skeletons are the same size so anything on top will make you hotter . I say this as I have been both very fat and very thin and also very pregnancy in the summer twice .

There could be something in that Bish - I've gone from BMI of 26 to 21 and I'm more comfortable than I was in last heatwave.

BlackMini that's a very persuasive argument