HEAT SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND THIS SUMMER

Here is a great website by the American Red Cross about Heat Safety

The information below has been  provided by the National Weather Service....

HERE ARE A FEW SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND TO HELP MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF HEAT ON THE BODY. WITH DAYS OF REPEATED HEAT IN THE FORECAST THIS
WEEK... BE AWARE THAT THE EFFECTS OF HEAT ARE CUMULATIVE... AND THE THREATS GROW WITH EACH PASSING DAY OF HOT WEATHER.

HEAT STROKE...HEAT STROKE OCCURS WHEN THE BODYS COOLING SYSTEM FAILS... AND THE BODYS CORE TEMPERATURE RISES RAPIDLY. HEAT STROKE VICTIMS WILL CEASE SWEATING... AND THE BODY TEMPERATURE WILL RISE RAPIDLY TO OVER 105 DEGREES. HEAT STROKE REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION AND
COOLING OF THE VICTIM. SYMPTOMS OF A SERIOUS HEAT ILLNESS INCLUDE...CRAMPS... RAPID PULSE... HEAVY SWEATING... HOT RED SKIN...HEADACHE... DIZZINESS... CONFUSION... NAUSEA... AND VOMITING.

TREATMENT OF A HEAT ILLNESS SHOULD INCLUDE GETTING THE VICTIM OUT OF THE HEAT... GIVING THE VICTIM SIPS OF COOL WATER... PLACING COOL WET CLOTHS OR ICE PACKS ON THE VICTIMS BODY...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE NECK AND UNDER THE ARMS...AND SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION.

HEAT SAFETY FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS...IN HOT WEATHER... A CHILDS BODY TEMPERATURE CAN RISE 3 TO 5 TIMES FASTER THAN AN ADULT. PHYSIOLOGICALLY... TODDLERS AND INFANTS...SEEM TO HAVE LESS ABILITY TO REGULATE THEIR OWN BODY TEMPERATURE IN COMPARISON WITH ADULTS. CHILDREN FROM 9 MONTHS TO NEARLY 5 YEARS OF AGE ARE SOMETIMES THE MOST AT RISK. CHILDREN OF ALL AGES ALSO CONTINUE TO EXERT THEMSELVES DESPITE THE HEAT.

TEACHERS... DAYCARE CENTERS AND CAREGIVERS SHOULD MONITOR CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE CLOSELY AND MAY WANT TO CONSIDER CURTAILING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY.

REMEMBER ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN WHO DIE FROM HEAT BECOME TRAPPED IN A CAR WHILE PLAYING. CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER BE LEFT ALONE IN A VEHICLE... EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN... AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN OR NEAR A VEHICLE.

HEAT SAFETY FOR ATHLETES AND OUTDOOR WORKERS...ATHLETES WHO EXERCISE IN EXCESSIVE HEAT CAN SUFFER FROM EXERTIONAL HEAT STROKE. CONFUSION... DISORIENTATION... AND BELLIGERENCE ARE FREQUENT SYMPTOMS... AND MAY BE FOLLOWED BY COLLAPSE AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

CERTAIN MEDICATIONS AND DRUGS CAN EXACERBATE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HEAT AND IMPAIR THE BODYS COOLING MECHANISM. ALSO... DIURETICS CAN DEPLETE BODY FLUIDS AND LEAD TO DEHYDRATION.

HEAT SAFETY FOR THE ELDERLY...MANY ELDERLY PEOPLE HAVE AN IMPAIRED ABILITY TO COOL THE BODY
THROUGH PERSPIRATION.

SOME MEDICATIONS SUCH AS... DRUGS TO TREAT PARKINSONS DISEASE...TRANQUILIZERS... AND OTHER DRUGS THAT INTERFERE WITH BODY TEMPERATURES REGULATION CAN INHIBIT PERSPIRATION AND PRESENT A
DANGER. THIS GREATLY INCREASES THE RISK OF DEVELOPING A HEAT ILLNESS.

THE ELDERLY... ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS... SHOULD SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE IN AIR CONDITIONED LOCATIONS DURING HOT WEATHER.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY SHOULD MAKE SURE THE ELDERLY ARE TAKING PROPER PRECAUTION AND IN AIR CONDITIONED AREAS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

FOR MORE SAFETY INFORMATION AND FORECAST REGARDING THIS WEEKS HOT WEATHER VISIT THE RALEIGH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/RALEIGH.