LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As temperatures soar, the American Red Cross has urged Arkansans to be cautious in the face of heat advisories.
When temperatures rise above 90 degrees, you can easily become more at risk to heat and heat-related illnesses— which can cause serious injury and in some cases death if untreated.
Symptoms of heat-related illnesses can include nausea, dizziness, flushed or pale skin, heavy sweating, and headaches.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it's important to move to a cool place, get something to drink, and use ice packs or damp washcloths to cool the body down.
If a victim refuses water, vomits, or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1 immediately. While anyone can experience a heat-related illness, the elderly and the very young are most susceptible.
To help prevent yourself from the heat this summer, the Red Cross offered the following safety tips:
- Plan ahead: Discuss heat safety precautions with the members of your household and have a plan for what to do if the power goes out.
- Dress for the heat: Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors since they absorb the sun’s rays. It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella.
- Stay hydrated: Carry water or juice when you are out and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
- Eat small meals and eat more often: Avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolic heat.
- Slow down: Avoid too much strenuous or physical activity. If you must do it, try doing it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually between 4 and 7 a.m. Take frequent breaks.
- Stay indoors: If air-conditioning is unavailable, stay on the lowest floor out of the sun. Remember that electric fans do not cool, they simply circulate the air.
- Be a good neighbor: Check in on family, friends, animals, neighbors who are elderly or ill, and those who do not have air conditioning.
In addition to these tips, it's also important to know what these heat-related terms mean:
- Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms that usually occur in the legs or abdomen caused by exposure to heat and humidity, and loss of fluids. They are an early signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
- Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. If not treated, the victim may suffer heat stroke. Symptoms can include cool, moist, pale flushed, or red skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
- Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke, is life-threatening. The victim's temperature-control system, which produces sweat as a way of cooling the body, stops working. Body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may occur if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red, and dry skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing.