BROWARD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

 

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The Facts on Heat

 

What is heat illness?

 

Heat illness can range from mild heat exhaustion to the most severe form, heat stroke.  Several people die from heat related causes every year.  Heat stroke is a dysfunction of the central nervous system that makes the body stop sweating and organs stop working.  Getting treatment quickly for heat stroke is imperative.

 

What are the causes?

 

Text Box: HOW TO BEAT THE HEAT Wear light, loose clothes. Drink plenty of fluids. Stay in the shade or indoors. Avoid foods that are high in protein which increase metabolic heat. Check on elderly friends and neighbors each day. Keep strenuous activities to a minimum or do them in the coolest part of the day. Never leave children and pets in automobiles. Bring pets indoors and give them plenty of water. Heat illness is caused by excessive heat, which brings on dehydration.  Most heat related deaths occur in the summer months, with a higher number of deaths occurring during the month of June.

 

Who gets heat illness?

 

Children, the elderly and people who work or exercise outdoors are the most at risk for heat illnesses.  Also, people who have been drinking alcohol are 15 times more vulnerable to heat stroke than those who have not because alcohol causes increased dehydration.  Males tend to die of heat -related causes more than females and these deaths occur across all ages.  Certain diseases and/or medications can also make a person more prone to heat illness.

 

What are the symptoms?                                            

Before a heat stroke, patients will experience heat exhaustion.  Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, malaise, fatigue and nausea.  There also are many minor conditions that are warning signs your body is too hot and you could be on your way to serious illness.  Some symptoms to watch for include dehydration; a rash called prickly heat; edema, swelling, typically, of the fingers and hands; cramps and fainting.

 

What is the treatment?

 

When these occur, you should drink plenty of water, rest in a cool place, and seek treatment if symptoms do not subside.

 

What about pets?

 

For most animals with fur, you can test for dehydration by pulling the skin up on the center of their backs.  If the skin snaps down slowly, that is a sign of dehydration.  A dry nose, white gums and ears, and droopy eyes are also signals.

 

How can heat sickness be prevented?

 

The best ways to beat the heat are to avoid going outside and drink plenty of fluids.

 

 

For further information, contact the Broward County Health Department at 954/467-4865.

 

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