Summer Sun And Heat Still Here, Be Careful

The calendar may say September today, but summertime heat and humidity is still around, and looks to be through the holiday weekend. So while it is OK for you to go out and enjoy the last official weekend of summer, you are going to want to use caution while doing so.

• Drink water often
• Rest and cool down in the shade
• Know symptoms, prevention and emergency response to prevent heat-related illness and death
• Check weather forecasts ahead of time to be better prepared
• Watch out for heat cramps

Watch out for heat exhaustion:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the symptoms and treatments for this.

Symptoms:

• Heavy sweating
• Weakness
• Cool, pale, clammy skin
• Fast, weak pulse
• Possible muscle cramps
• Dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

First Aid:

• Move person to a cooler environment
• Lay person down and loosen clothing
• Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of the body as possible
• Fan or move victim to air-conditioned room
• Offer sips of water
• If person vomits more than once, seek immediate medical attention.

Heat stroke can occur in severe cases too. Watch for:

Symptoms:

• Altered mental state
• One or more of the following symptom: throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, shallow breathing
• Body temperature above 103°F
• Hot, red, dry or moist skin
• Rapid and strong pulse
• Faints, loses consciousness

First Aid:

• Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal.
• Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment.
• Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath.
• Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make you hotter at higher temperatures.
• Do NOT give fluids.

It won't be long until the heat of summer is replaced by the snow and cold of winter; then we will have to talk about staying warm and avoiding frostbite, so enjoy.