Check Your Health- Staying Safe in Extreme Heat

It’s important to stay safe from heat-related illnesses if you or your family are going to be outside when it’s really hot this summer. Extreme heat is when temperatures are significantly hotter than average. This usually means temperatures above 90 degrees for more than 2 days.

Tips to stay safe in extreme heat:

Be aware of the weather and conditions.

Make sure you know what the weather and temperature are expected to be if you’re going to be outside; that way you can be prepared. Heat-related illnesses happen when your body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself down. Many things can increase your body temperature during extreme heat, like dehydration, living and working in spaces without air conditioning, and intense physical activity.

Be prepared when you go out.

Your body has to work harder to keep you cool during periods of extreme heat. Use these tips to prepare for extreme heat and stay safe when it is hot outside.

• Drink water throughout the day—about 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Take cool showers or baths to reduce your body temperature.
• Use an air conditioner to cool your home, if you can.
• If your home does not have air conditioning, you can cover windows with drapes or shades, and add weatherproofing strips around windows to keep in cool air. Close your windows when it’s hotter outside than inside. If it’s cooler outside and the air quality is good, consider opening the windows and turning on an exhaust fan or window fan, which will help remove hot air and replace it with cooler air.
• Stay in a cool, indoor space when possible.
• Check on neighbors, older people, or loved ones who may not be prepared for extreme heat conditions, or may be at higher risk for heat-related illness.
• Find shade and wear loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing.
• Wear a hat to cover your face and head if you are outside.
• Apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and UVA and UVB (broad-spectrum) protection every 2 hours.

Take action.

It’s important to know the signs of heat-related illnesses and know what to do next. Get medical help right away if you or someone else has a heat-related illness and is throwing up, your symptoms get worse, or your symptoms last longer than 1 hour.

What to do if someone has heat stroke:

• Call 911 right away. Heat stroke is a medical emergency.
• Move the person to a cooler place.
• Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a bath.
• Do not give the person anything to drink.