Heat Stroke Can Be Deadly, Do You Know The Warning Signs?

Give or take a day or three we are compelled to put out this warning every year about this same time, you need to know the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Keep reading and learn this life-saving information.

Getting overheated is something that can happen to you very fast, and if you're not paying attention can put you in the hospital, or worse. It doesn't take much and it doesn't take long, and most times you're not even sure it's happening until it's too late.

We're talking about heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Here are a few tips from Texas Health and Human Services:

• Drink water continuously throughout the day, even if you don't feel thirsty replenishing the fluids in your body is paramount. This does NOT include alcohol and carbonated sodas or caffeinated drinks. Dehydration can sneak up on you quickly. The best way to fight it is to keep drinking water.
• Check on family friends and neighbors, the very old, very young, and anyone you know without AC.
• The hottest part of the day is when you need to be indoors or at least out of the sun and keep your outdoor activity to a minimum.

Click on the link for more detailed information from Texas Health and Human Services.

Ready.gov recommends the following Recognize & Respond

Look for these signs and follow the actions recommended.

HEAT CRAMPS

• Signs: Muscle pain, cramps, or spasms in your stomach, arms, or legs.
• Actions: Get in a cooler location. Remove excess clothes if you can, and start slowly drinking cool sports drinks with salt and sugar, like Gatorade or Powerade. If your cramps last more than one hour, seek medical attention.

HEAT EXHAUSTION

• Signs: Heavy sweating, turning pale, bad muscle cramps, getting weak or exhausted and dizzy, headache, sick to your stomach, vomiting.
• Actions: Get inside an air-conditioned place and lie down. If you can, loosen or even remove clothing. Get in a cool bath if possible and start sipping cool sports drinks with salt and sugar. If your symptoms persist or get worse, or last more than an hour, seek medical attention.

HEAT STROKE

• Signs:
  • High body temperature, anything over 103 degrees, take temperature orally
  • Red, hot, dry skin and you have stopped sweating
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Dizzy, confused, or unconscious

• Actions: Seek medical attention immediately... call 9-1-1 or get this person to a hospital as quickly as possible. Attempt to cool this person down with any available methods until medical help arrives or you can get them in front of medical help.

Whether you are boating, fishing, mudding, shooting, beaching, camping, hiking, etc... if you're outside, take care of yourself and be aware of what your body is telling you.

Water is your friend!

Get hydrated and stay hydrated, with water.

Don't mess around with the heat, the last few years have been tough on all of us during the pandemic, get out there, see the world, and have a fun summer, but let's be safe while we're at it.

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