Be careful in extreme heat to avoid heat-related illnesses and even death

It seems today that writing about extreme heat is strange. This weekend, I was so cold when I did yard work here in the Seattle area that I wore my extra-sweater-and-leggings outfit I wear for winter gardening.

And, although everyone is warning about not to avoid heat exhaustion and even death, I’m going to write about it, too.

For the third straight day, a heat wave is descending on much of the Eastern United States. In the Northeast, it will be especially hot through the weekend due to the same hot wave that has already occurred in the Great Lakes region.

Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body isn’t able to cool itself. While the body normally cools by sweating, during extreme heat, this might not be enough. In these cases, a person's body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. This can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs.

Some factors that may increase your risk of heat-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include:

• High levels of humidity

• Obesity

• Fever

• Dehydration

• Prescription drug use

• Heart disease

• Mental Illness

• Poor circulation

• Sunburn

Older adults, the very young, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases are at highest risk. However, even young and healthy people can be affected if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather.

Summertime activity, whether on the playing field or the construction site, needs to be balanced with actions that help the body cool to prevent heat-related illness.

Tips to stay cool from the CDC, include:

Stay cool indoors

• Drink plenty of water and other liquids.
• Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
• Go to the shopping mall or public library if your home doesn’t have air conditioning. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back in the heat.
• Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
• Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.
• Take a cool shower or bath to cool off.

Don’t leave kids or anyone else in cars

Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open. While anyone left in a parked car is at risk, children are especially at risk of getting a heat stroke or dying.

When traveling with children, remember to do the following:

• Never leave infants, children, seniors, or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open.
• Remind yourself that a child is in the car by keeping a stuffed animal in the car seat. When the child is buckled in, place the stuffed animal in the front with the driver.
• Check to make sure everyone is out of the car when you leave the car. Don’t overlook a child who may have fallen asleep in the car.

Schedule outdoor activities carefully

• Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest such as morning and evening hours.
• Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.

Pace yourself

• Cut down on exercise during the heat.

• Start working or exercising slowly and pick up the pace if you’re not accustom to doing these activities in a hot environment.

Wear sunscreen

• Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated.

• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before going out if you must go outdoors.

Stay hydrated

• Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are.

• Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

• Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks – these actually cause you to lose more body fluid.

• Avoid very cold drinks because they can cause stomach cramps.

• Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.

• Talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets if you’re on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions.

Keep your pets hydrated

• Provide plenty of fresh water for your pets.

• Leave the water in a shady area.

Check for updates

• Check your local news for extreme heat alerts and safety tips and to learn about any cooling shelters in your area.

• Share information with seniors in your family and neighborhood.

Know the signs of heat-related illnesses

Heat stroke. Look for high body temperature, 103°F or higher; hot, red, dry, or damp skin; fast, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; passing out. Call 911 right away and move the person to a cooler place. Lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath. Don’t give the person anything to drink.

Heat exhaustion. Look for heavy sweating; cold, pale, and clammy skin; fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; tiredness or weakness; dizziness; headache; fainting. Move to a cool place; loosen your clothes; put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath; sip water. Get medical help right away if you’re throwing up, your symptoms get worse, or your symptoms last longer than one hour.

Heat cramps. Look for heavy sweating during intense exercise; muscle pain or spasms. Stop physical activity and move to a cool place; drink water or a sports drink; wait for cramps to go away before you do any more physical activity.

Sunburn. Look for painful, red, and warm skin; blisters on the skin. You need to stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals; put cool cloths on sunburned areas or take a cool bath; put moisturizing lotion on sunburned areas; don’t break blisters.

Heat rash. Look for red clusters of small blisters that look like pimples on the skin usually on the neck, chest, or groin or in elbow creases. Stay in a cool dry, place; keep the rash dry; use powder to soothe the rash.

Use a buddy system

• Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.

• Monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you when working in the heat.

• Have a friend or relative call to check on you twice a day during a heat wave if you’re 65 or older. If you know someone in this age group, check on them at least twice a day.

Check on high-risk people

Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others.

• Infants and young children.

• People 65 and older.

• People who are overweight.

• People who overexert during work or exercise.

• People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.

• Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children need more frequent observation.

Print this article out and keep it handy this summer. You may go to the beach or on a hike and need a reminder about heat-related illness symptoms precautions and illnesses and what do to.

Comments

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Thanks for this...so important. People do forget!!

[Rita]

Yes, people do need to be reminded all the time. Then, younger people need to be educated, too.

[Laurie Stone]

Thank God for air conditioning. I can't imagine what people did without it, especially in the south.

[Rita]

Here in the Seattle area, a lot of people don't have air conditioning. It hasn't been too bad, but with climate change, it's getting noticeable.