This summer is already a scorcher in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, with record-setting temperatures being recorded. Staying safe while you’re out and about in the heat can be challenging, especially if you aren’t properly dressed and hydrating regularly.
Fortunately, heat-related illnesses are preventable, and it’s easy to learn the symptoms and what to do if you or a loved one shows signs of having a heat-related illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have put together the following tips for recognizing and responding to possible heat-related illnesses:
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1. Heat Stroke
What to look for:
- High body temperature (103°F or higher)
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness (passing out)
What to do:
- Call 911 right away. Heat stroke is a medical emergency
- Move the person to a cooler place
- Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath
- Do not give the person anything to drink
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2. Heat exhaustion
What to look for:
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting (passing out)
What to do:
- Move to a cool place
- Loosen your clothes
- Put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath
- Sip water
Get medical help right away if:
- You are throwing up
- Your symptoms get worse
- Your symptoms last longer than one hour
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3. Heat cramps
What to look for:
- Heavy sweating during intense exercise
- Muscle pain or spasms
What to do:
- Stop physical activity and move to a cool place
- Drink water or a sports drink
- Wait for cramps to go away before you do any more physical activity
Get medical help right away if:
- Cramps last longer than one hour
- You’re on a low-sodium diet
- You have heart problems
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4. Sunburn
What to look for:
- Painful, red, and warm skin
- Blisters on the skin
What to do:
- Stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals
- Put cool cloths on sunburned areas or take a cool bath
- Put moisturizing lotion on sunburned areas
- Do not break blisters
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5. Heat rash
What to look for:
- Red clusters of small blisters that look like pimples on the skin (usually on the neck, chest, groin, or in elbow creases)
What to do:
- Stay in a cool, dry place
- Keep the rash dry
- Use powder to soothe the rash
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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