Keep your cool: Tips to avoid heat stroke at the hottest outdoor events

As far as exciting, outdoor summer events go, it doesn't get much hotter than the New Orleans Jazz Festival, both for the ultra-hip grooves as well as the soaring Louisiana temperatures. As one music-loving blogger documents, the beats were hot but so was the blazing sun, making it necessary to plan ahead when going to this and similar events in order to avoid heat-related illnesses.

While certain groups are more prone to being affected by hot and humid weather -- young children and the elderly are especially at risk -- anyone can wind up with sunstroke, heat exhaustion and painful sunburns if they're not careful. If you know that you will be attending a festival, concert, fair or other outdoor event, check out this article first as it details the symptoms to look for when diagnosing various illnesses caused by extreme heat as well as how to treat them.

A range of tips to help avoid getting sick in the sun are also given and some of the most important include wearing a sunscreen with at least SPF 15, wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and, if possible, spending some time in an air-conditioned area or at least trying to find some shade from time to time. Most importantly, staying well hydrated is a necessity. This means not only drinking a lot of water, but also avoiding alcohol and sugary drinks as these will have the opposite effect and dehydrate you.