KANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR
Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 20, 1998
Contact: Don Brown
785-296-1529
Late Summer Heat Proves Dangerous, Even Fatal
The recent heat-related deaths of two south-central Kansas high school athletes demonstrates the need to exercise caution when temperatures soar and humidity rises.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) advises Kansans that high heat creates special health considerations, especially for the very young, older citizens, and those who are more susceptible to heat effects because of their weight or because they work and exercise in extreme heat.
Signs and Symptoms of Overheating
Excessive heat can result in different degrees of illness, from heat stress to heat exhaustion to heat stroke. Mild heat stress includes fainting, muscle cramps, and prickly heat, which is a skin rash from clogged pores.
Heat exhaustion includes clammy skin, a pale or flushed complexion, weakness, dizziness, nausea, a throbbing headache, chest pain, and breathing problems.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition. The first sign is usually a headache, followed by a rise in body temperature to 103 degrees or higher. The skin becomes dry instead of sweaty. Since it is difficult to determine whether a person is suffering from heat stroke or heat exhaustion, professional medical consultation or evaluation should be sought when experiencing these symptoms. Significant changes in alertness or orientation, incoherent speech, an unsteady gait, loss of consciousness, or an elevated temperature in association with overheating should be treated as medical emergencies.
Keep Your Cool
KDHE advises the following precautions:
Acclimate to the environment. Since most people work and live in an air-conditioned environment, it takes from four to seven days for the body to get used to a natural environment with high temperatures. This is especially important for young athletes who may begin a training or practice program without proper pre-conditioning.
Drink plenty of fluids. It is very important that you drink lots of fluid, especially if you are forced to be out in the sun and perspire a lot. Water is by far the best liquid you can use, though fruit and vegetable juices are good also. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee and soft drinks actually draw more water out of the body than they add. People who are outside when the temperature is in the 90s should drink a gallon of water a day--preferably every 15 to 20 minutes--to make up for fluid lost through perspiration and evaporation. It is important to take frequent water breaks for those people working or training vigorously during the heat of the day.
Infants and young children often cannot ask for water or regulate their behavior in relation to the heat, so be sure to provide extra fluids, give cool sponge baths, dress them coolly, and keep them out of the sun. Never leave a child or baby in a hot or closed car or near a sunny window. Monitor children's play time so they don't overexert themselves during the hot times of the day.
Elderly people are also more susceptible to heat. Neighbors and relatives of elderly people, especially those without air conditioning, should check on them frequently during heat waves.
Other ways to stay healthy during extremely hot days are to:
-30-