This summer has brought weeks of record temperatures with heat indexes off the chart.
It’s important to understand how the heat affects your health, especially if you have existing medical conditions, and to know how to prevent and treat heat-related illnesses.
These illnesses occur when the body can’t cool itself effectively. Symptoms range from mild conditions like heat rash and cramps to more serious ones like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. A heat stroke — defined by a temperature of 103°F or higher, confusion, or seizures — is a medical emergency that requires immediate care.
Reduce your risk by staying well-hydrated, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, and limiting sun exposure. Try to stay in the shade, use sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher, and ease into outdoor activities gradually. Be sure to check on vulnerable people, including infants and the elderly.
If someone begins to overheat, act quickly. Cool them down with ice packs on the neck, armpits, or groin, use a fan with misting water, or help them into a cool shower or bath.
Summer is a time for fun, but heat-related illnesses are serious. Stay alert, stay cool, and take care of yourself and those around you.