Summer is coming up, and it may be doing so faster than you want to think about. While the longer stretches of daylight hours may be something to look forward to for many, high temperatures and heat-related illnesses are two tag-alongs that people often dread. If your job requires you to spend much of your time hot, sweaty, and outdoors, here are a few ways to keep extreme summer heat from making you sick.

Stay as cool as you can.

This may seem like an impossible task when you are working on a project in the summer heat, but there are ways to get around this. Wear the lightest weight clothing, lightest-colored, and loosest-fitting clothes you can while on the work site. If you can, invest in a pair of work boots that are designed for working in extreme heat conditions.

If possible, schedule your work hours for cooler parts of the day.

Limiting the time you spend outside during the hottest part of the day (typically in the afternoon) will help you stay cooler. Start your work as early in the day as possible so you can take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Or work in the evenings, when temperatures will be cooling down.

Don't try to speed through your work.

With as high as the temperatures can rise, it is tempting to try to accomplish as much as possible for the day as quickly as possible. That may not be the best strategy, though. The chances of becoming sick with a heat-related illness is much greater when you combine strenuous work with high temperatures. Slow and steady progress will get the work done much more efficiently.

Protect yourself from the sun.

If you work in the construction industry, your chances of having to work outside are high. Wear at least SPF 15 sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat if you can. They are meant to help sunburn and keep your body better able to cool down - which is important on hot days.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Sweat is a mechanism your body uses to cool down when it is hot. Drink water or fluids with electrolytes throughout the day to replace what you are losing while you work.

Visit the  CDC's website  for more suggestions on how to handle the summer heat, and  more information on heat-related illnesses.