Take measures to stay cool, hydrated, and informed. Getting over heated can make you sick. Your body can become ill from the heat if your body does not know how to properly compensate for it. The main things affecting this ability for your body to cool down during this extremely hot weather are:
High Humidity
-When humidity is too elevated, sweat is not able to evaporate as quickly. This restricts your body from releasing heat as fast as it needs to.
Personal Factors
-Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, poor circulation, mental illness, sunburn, and drugs and alcohol use can play a role in a person’s ability to cool down their body
Those who are at higher risk include people 65 and older, children younger than two, and people with a chronic disease or mental illness.
Why are older adults more prone to heat stress?
-Older adults do not adjust as well to sudden changes in the temperature.
-They are more likely to have a chronic disease or condition that changes the normal body’s response to heat.
-They are more likely to be taking prescription medication that can affect the body’s ability to control its own temperature and/or sweat
Closely monitor the people who rely on you for care and ask the following questions:
-Are they drinking enough water?
-Do they have access to air conditioning?
-Do they need help keeping cool?
People at greatest risk for heat-related illness can be proactive and take the following protective measures to prevent illness:
Stay Cool.
-Stay in air-conditioned buildings as often as possible. You can contact your local health department or locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area. AC is the number one way to protect yourself against heat-illness. When your house does not have AC, try spending time in a close by facility (supermarket)that is using AC or in a vehicle that has air conditioning.
-Do not rely on a fan to cool you down during an extreme heat event.
Stay Hydrated.
-Drink more water than normal and do not wait until you are thirsty to drink. Stay away from surgery or alcoholic drinks, as these because you lose more fluids.
-Replace salts and minerals lost from sweating by drinking a sport beverage with electrolytes. (If you are on a low-sodium diet, please talk with your doctor prior to ingesting additional salts and minerals.)
Stay Informed
-Check the local news for health and safety updates.
-Check on a friend or neighbor and have others do the same for you.
-Seek medical care immediately if you have, or someone you know may have, symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them. See the attached Flyer from CDC, of the Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness and what to do.
