Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable however many people still suffer from extreme heat. Every year, around 618 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat. People get heat-related illness when their bodies are unable to properly cool themselves.
What is extreme heat?
- Extreme heat is defined as summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average.
- Humid conditions tend to add to the discomfort of high temperatures. Humidity occurs when a “dome” of high atmospheric pressure traps hazy, damp air near the ground.
Recommendations during extreme heat
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level.
- During heavy exercise in a hot environment, drink two to four glasses (16-32 ounces) of fluids each hour.
- Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol, or large amounts of sugar.
- Replace salt and minerals
- Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body. These are necessary for your body and must be replaced.
- If you plan to exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour.
- Clothing and sunscreen
- Wear as little clothing as possible when you are at home.
- Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
- Sunburns are harmful because they affect your body’s ability to cool itself.
- If you have to go outside, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and wearing SPF 15 or higher.
- Outdoor activities
- If you have to be outdoors, limit your activity to morning and evening hours.
- Rest often in shady areas so that your body’s thermostat will have a change to recover.
- Stay cool indoors
- Try your hardest to remain indoors, and if possible, in an air-conditioned place.
- Taking a cool shower or bath are good ways to cool off.
- Avoid using your stove and oven as this will increase the temperature in your home.
Who is most at risk?
- Older adults (aged 65+)
- Infants and children
- People with chronic conditions:
- Heart disease
- Mental illness
- Poor blood circulation
- Obesity
- Outdoor workers
- Interior temperatures can rise almost 20° F within the first 10 minutes of being in the car. Anyone left inside is at risk for serious heat-related illnesses or death.
- Children left unattended are at the greatest risk for heat-related illnesses.
- NEVER leave infants, children or pets in a parked car.
Heat Related Illnesses:
Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot and/or humid weather. Heat rash is especially common in young children.
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What to look for:
- Red clusters of small blisters that look like pimples on the skin (usually on the neck, chest, groin, or in elbow creases)
Sunburns should be avoided because they can damages to the skin. Most sunburns are considered to be mild but a more severe sunburn may require medical attention.
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What to look for:
- Painful, red, and warm skin
- Blisters on the skin
Heat cramps tend to affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. Such sweating reduces the body's salt and moisture levels. Low salt levels are usually the cause of heat cramps along with a symptom of heat exhaustion. Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms that usually occur in the abdomen, arms or legs. Heat cramps are generally in association with strenuous activity.
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What to look for:
- Heavy sweating during intense exercise
- Muscle pain or spasms
Heat exhaustion can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate replacement of fluids. The result is heat exhaustion which is the body’s response to an excessive loss of the water and salt that comprises sweat. Those prone to heat exhaustion are the elderly, people with high blood pressure and people working or exercising in a hot environment. If any of the symptoms below are observed, seek medical care.
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What to look for:
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting (passing out)
Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. During a heat stroke, the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given. If any of the symptoms below are observed, seek medical care.
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What to look for:
- High body temperature (103° F or higher)
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness (passing out)
Additional Resources: