Summer Heat Brings Potential Health Risks

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.

In addition, infants and children left alone in a hot car are at extreme risk. A recent study commissioned by General Motors reveals that in humid heat, serious injury or death to a child in a closed vehicle can occur in half of the time than it takes in dry heat conditions. However, in both situations, extreme heat can prove dangerous in only a matter of minutes.

Signs and Symptoms of Overheating

Excessive heat can result in different degrees of illness, from heat stress to heat exhaustion to heat stroke.

Heat stress includes fainting, muscle cramps, and prickly heat, which is a skin rash from clogged pores. A person showing these symptoms should drink fluids and rest in a cool place.

Heat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot. Heat exhaustion includes clammy skin, sweating profusely, a pale or flushed complexion, weakness, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, a throbbing headache, chest pain, and breathing problems.

Heat exhaustion victims often also suffer heat cramps. Heat cramps are painful spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs following strenuous activity. Heat cramps often are caused by a lack of salt in the body.

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. Other symptoms include confusion, combativeness, bizarre behavior, faintness, staggering, strong rapid pulse, and possible delirium or coma. Heat stroke can result in convulsions, unconsciousness, and even death.

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.

While awaiting emergency medical assistance, the affected individual should be removed from the heat to the coolest environment available. Remove as much clothing as possible and give sips of water. Fanning the victim will also help.

Children and Cars

When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core body temperature can increase three to five times faster than that of an adult, causing permanent injury or even death. Recent research shows that on a 95-degree day the temperature within a small vehicle can exceed 122 degrees within 20 minutes and 150 degrees within 40 minutes. It also shows that even when outdoor temperatures are as low as 60 degrees, a vehicle can heat to dangerous levels.

• Never leave a child or baby in a hot or closed car or near a sunny window, even with a window down.
• Teach children not to play in, on or around cars.
• Always lock car doors and trunks – even at home–– and keep keys out of the reach of children.
• Keep the trunk of your car locked at all times, especially when parked near the home.
• Keep the rear fold-down seats closed to help prevent kids from getting into the trunk.

Keeping Cool

KDHE advises the following:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Water is the best liquid you can use, though fruit and vegetable juices are also good. Caffeinated beverages dehydrate the body. Avoid alcohol. People who are outside when the temperature is in the 90s should drink a gallon of water a day---to make up for fluid lost through perspiration evaporation.
• Infants and young children need special attention. Often they 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.
• Elderly people are also more susceptible to heat. Neighbors and relatives of elderly people, especially those without air conditioning, should check on them frequently.
• Wear loose and light-colored clothing;
• Take cool showers;
• Eat light meals such as salads and fresh fruits. Increase the amount of potassium in the diet because perspiration strips the body of salt and potassium. Apricots, bananas, cantaloupes, oranges, beans, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes are rich in potassium.
• Reduce outside activities, especially those in direct sunlight; try to schedule outdoor activities either before noon or in the evening. While outdoors, rest frequently in shade.
• Spend more time in air conditioning. Most communities have places where people without air conditioning can go during extreme heat waves. If air conditioning is not available, cool the house by fastening a wet sheet to the window and letting the breeze blow through it or hang a wet sheet between two chairs in front of a fan.

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