Make sure to stay out of the sun
With temperatures on the rise, officials warn of potential for heat-related injuries in the weeks to come
Temperatures are expected to stay warm for the weeks to come as the dog days of summer continue, and keeping cool remains a real cause for concern for anyone who has to be outside for prolonged periods of time.
Polk County Coroner Tony Brazier said so far no local deaths have been reported from any of the past heat waves already felt this summer, but that he wants the community to be aware of the real dangers of being outdoors under the sun for too long.
Especially since the heat will be sticking around for the days and weeks to come, based on forecast models from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.
“It will get bad if not worse than the heatwave we had in late May and toward the end of June,” Brazier said.
He said concerns fall in several areas for local residents, starting with those who are already having trouble breathing under such hot and humid conditions.
“We want to encourage all folks that have pre-existing respiratory issues and the elderly and children with asthmatic problems to take as many breaks as possible,” he said.
Along with those who have health issues, athletes who are working out in practices this month as fall sports gets underway are asked to take it somewhat easy as well.
“We’re encouraging all these athletes to really, really hydrate and take cooling breaks,” Brazier said.
The dangers are real for what can happen to those who don’t take the heat seriously. It starts with dehydration, a condition caused when the body is lacking the amount of water it needs to properly function. Brazier said simply making sure to drink enough during heatwaves can keep at bay many of the problems that can come from ignoring dehydration and the body’s natural processes for getting rid of heat.
“Hydration does not necessarily have to be Powerade or Gatorade. Good old fashioned water is one of the greatest things that we should intake so as to keep ourselves hydrated, especially in these types of temperatures,” he said.
The lack of water can become a real problem inside the body if people stay in the heat for too long. Once dehydrated, the body can’t sweat as much as it needs to and lose excess heat. When a person stops sweating even though it feels like an oven outside, that’s when someone is starting to get into real trouble.
“The more dehydrated you become, the quicker you lapse into the second stage of problems medically and that’s heat exhaustion,” Brazier explained. “If it isn’t directly impacted soon by getting people into cooler surroundings and hydrated, it can quickly evolve into heat stroke.”
That’s when the internal body temperature of a person becomes so overheated, somewhere above 104 degrees in adults and 105 degrees in children. It can cause serious brain damage, heart problems and more if not treated.
People who reach the point of a heat stroke require immediate emergency
treatment at the hospital, which includes ice baths and ice packs being placed in the armpits, groins and around the necks of patients to rapidly decrease body temperatures, and IV fluids to re-hydrate those who are overheated. Failure to treat people suffering from heat stroke can cause death.
The most at-risk groups for heat stroke are the elderly, those working outdoors for prolonged periods, and children.
Brazier added that he knows of the accidental death of three children from heat strokes due to being left inside of hot cars this year alone.
“We ask people to be very vigilent traveling with kids in the car, make sure they get to school or a babysitter,” he said. “Always stop, look and search the back seat to make sure a child is not in the back seat.”
Brazier said that no one in Polk County this year has so far died due to heatrelated injuries, but that in his review of data from around the area he did find a few people who required a trip to the emergency room to be treated for getting overheated.
“We’re just extremely concerned about the upcoming weeks and months, really the next 45 to 50 days can really be problematic this time of year,” Brazier said. “If we can save one life, we have done what we wanted to and keep everyone healthy and safe and let folks enjoy the rest of the summer as best as they can.”
Many of the problems of heat-related injuries can be solved by common sense approaches to the weather. For instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited such easy steps like wearing lightweight, light colored and loose fitting clothing for summer months, staying indoors in air conditioning as much as possible, and scheduling outdoor and strenuous activities around the cooler parts of the day to give the body a chance to recover from the heat.
It is also good to keep a slower pace and cut down on exercise in extreme heat conditions for the time being, and keep in the shade whenever possible when outdoors.
Additionally, the CDC wants those heading outdoors to remember to wear lots of sunscreen, and put on at least SPF 15 or higher if a trip out is going to be 30 minutes or longer. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses can also protect the eyes and face from damage from prolonged exposure to the sun.