How to Prevent Heat Stroke
Check weather reports., Stay inside if you have air conditioning., Find a public building with air conditioning., Drink extra water., Check in on others., Plan a good time to go out., Cool down your vehicle., Wear protective clothing and sunblock...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check weather reports.
If you notice that temperatures have been reaching 90°Fahrenheit (32.2°Celsius), check weather reports on the local news, cable weather channels, or internet weather sites.
Look for alerts about heat advisories and excessive heat warnings.
A heat advisory will be issued if forecasts predict that a temperature of at least 100°F (37.8°C) will last for more than 2 hours, and an excessive heat warning is issued if temperatures exceeding 105°F (40.6°C) are forecast to last for at least 2 hours.Australian residents can look out for a Heat Watch (temperatures forecast to be above 36°C for more than 3 days) and a Heat Warning (40° or higher forecast for at least 3 days). -
Step 2: Stay inside if you have air conditioning.
In the case of any kind of national heat alert, make every effort to stay indoors if you have air conditioning.Draw all blinds and curtains to keep out the heat of the sun.Turn on ceiling fans to redistribute the cool air from the air conditioner more efficiently., If you don’t have air conditioning, try to spend the late morning and afternoon hours in public buildings that do, such as libraries, malls, community centers, and grocery stores.If these places are far from your residence, and you don’t drive, ask a friend, neighbor, or relative to drive you.
If you don’t have air conditioning, and can’t get to an air conditioned public building, stay on the lowest floor in your residence, out of the sun.
If you begin to feel overheated, take a cold bath or shower., Whether you’re at home or in a public building, be sure to drink more water than you normally do, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Room temperature water is fine, since ice-cold water can bring on stomach cramps.And be sure to avoid alcoholic beverages as well during a heat wave, since these can reduce the body’s ability to cool itself.Seniors should make sure they're getting at least eight 8-ounce (0.24 liters) glasses of water throughout the day.Adult women need at least nine 8-ounce glasses (2.13 liters) per day, and adult men should drink a little more than twelve-and-a-half 8-ounce glasses (3 liters) daily. , If you know of any relatives, friends, or neighbors who do not have air conditioning, give them a call or go to see them during a national heat alert.
Make sure that their air conditioning system is working properly.
If you are seeing about an elderly person, make sure they can access transportation to a public building or shelter, or offer to give them a ride to these places or to your home., If you must leave your residence on a day when there is a national heat alert, try to avoid going out between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., which are generally the hottest hours of the day.Do all you can to postpone any errands or meetings that can wait for a few days until the heat alert is no longer in effect. , If you will be driving, open all the car doors for five minutes before starting the car, to allow for ventilation.
Then turn on the air conditioning for a few minutes before getting in the vehicle and driving.
Do not drive without air conditioning during a national heat alert.
Try to park in a shaded area at your destination and when you return home. , To shield yourself from the sun, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing made of cotton or linen.
Cover as much exposed skin as possible with pants and long sleeves.Apply high-spf (30-60) sunblock to any exposed skin areas, including the face and neck, and wear a wide-brimmed hat., Drink two to four glasses, or 2 cups (0.5 L) to 4 cups (0.9 L)) of cool fluids each hour if you’re exercising outdoors or working indoors when outdoor temperatures are higher than 90°C (32.2°C).This will prevent dehydration and allow your body to cool itself naturally by sweating.
Be careful to avoid exercising outdoors in the event of a national heat alert, or generally if outdoor temperatures are higher than 98°F (36.67°C). , In no case is it safe to leave a child in the car, especially during warmer weather.
The inside of a vehicle can overheat to deadly temperatures (110°F /
43.3°C), even when outside temperatures are mildly warm (60°F /
15.6°C).And opening windows slightly doesn’t help, since the vehicle still overheats quickly with a little ventilation.
To help you remember to take your child with you when leaving the vehicle, leave something next the the child that you will need to have with you, such as a cell phone, purse, shopping bag, or hat., Heat exhaustion is a type of heat stress that can lead to heat stroke.
Once you notice signs of heat exhaustion, stop any activity and get yourself or the ailing person to an air conditioned building immediately.
This precaution can prevent the life-threatening condition of heat stroke from coming on.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include vomiting and nausea, excessive sweating, low blood pressure, moist and cool skin, a weak pulse, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, strong thirst, and rapid breathing. , Once you notice the signs of heat exhaustion, and after finding a cool indoor area, you should give yourself or the ailing person cool water to drink, take off or loosen any excess clothing, fan yourself or the ailing person, and spray the skin with cool water.If these symptoms continue, go to an emergency medical center or call local emergency services., In some cases, heat stroke can come on quickly without giving any indication of heat exhaustion.This is a life-threatening condition, so if you detect the signs of heat stroke in yourself or another, call or ask someone else to call an ambulance immediately.
Symptoms of heat stroke include dry, hot, red skin (because the body has stopped sweating); a temperature above 104°F (40°C); weakness, confusion, irritability, or strange behavior; a rapid pulse; dizziness or headache; convulsions; and loss of consciousness., If signs of heat stroke are present, and you are alone, call for an ambulance immediately, and then do your best to get to a cool and shaded area—preferably to an air conditioned building— while waiting for the emergency services.
If you are in a wilderness area, away from facilities, sit in the shade of a tree or underneath a rock outcropping.
If you are with an ailing person, do the same for them.
Ask someone for (or give yourself or the ailing person) sips of cool water as long as you or they are conscious.Remove/loosen all outer layers of clothing and shoes and socks.
Cool off yourself, have someone else cool you off, or cool down the other person by sponging or spraying the skin with cool water.Place ice packs underneath the armpits and on the back of the neck. -
Step 3: Find a public building with air conditioning.
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Step 4: Drink extra water.
-
Step 5: Check in on others.
-
Step 6: Plan a good time to go out.
-
Step 7: Cool down your vehicle.
-
Step 8: Wear protective clothing and sunblock.
-
Step 9: Be sure to stay hydrated.
-
Step 10: Never leave a child in the car.
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Step 11: Spot signs of heat exhaustion.
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Step 12: Provide preventive care.
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Step 13: Recognize symptoms of heat stroke.
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Step 14: Provide immediate care.
Detailed Guide
If you notice that temperatures have been reaching 90°Fahrenheit (32.2°Celsius), check weather reports on the local news, cable weather channels, or internet weather sites.
Look for alerts about heat advisories and excessive heat warnings.
A heat advisory will be issued if forecasts predict that a temperature of at least 100°F (37.8°C) will last for more than 2 hours, and an excessive heat warning is issued if temperatures exceeding 105°F (40.6°C) are forecast to last for at least 2 hours.Australian residents can look out for a Heat Watch (temperatures forecast to be above 36°C for more than 3 days) and a Heat Warning (40° or higher forecast for at least 3 days).
In the case of any kind of national heat alert, make every effort to stay indoors if you have air conditioning.Draw all blinds and curtains to keep out the heat of the sun.Turn on ceiling fans to redistribute the cool air from the air conditioner more efficiently., If you don’t have air conditioning, try to spend the late morning and afternoon hours in public buildings that do, such as libraries, malls, community centers, and grocery stores.If these places are far from your residence, and you don’t drive, ask a friend, neighbor, or relative to drive you.
If you don’t have air conditioning, and can’t get to an air conditioned public building, stay on the lowest floor in your residence, out of the sun.
If you begin to feel overheated, take a cold bath or shower., Whether you’re at home or in a public building, be sure to drink more water than you normally do, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
Room temperature water is fine, since ice-cold water can bring on stomach cramps.And be sure to avoid alcoholic beverages as well during a heat wave, since these can reduce the body’s ability to cool itself.Seniors should make sure they're getting at least eight 8-ounce (0.24 liters) glasses of water throughout the day.Adult women need at least nine 8-ounce glasses (2.13 liters) per day, and adult men should drink a little more than twelve-and-a-half 8-ounce glasses (3 liters) daily. , If you know of any relatives, friends, or neighbors who do not have air conditioning, give them a call or go to see them during a national heat alert.
Make sure that their air conditioning system is working properly.
If you are seeing about an elderly person, make sure they can access transportation to a public building or shelter, or offer to give them a ride to these places or to your home., If you must leave your residence on a day when there is a national heat alert, try to avoid going out between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., which are generally the hottest hours of the day.Do all you can to postpone any errands or meetings that can wait for a few days until the heat alert is no longer in effect. , If you will be driving, open all the car doors for five minutes before starting the car, to allow for ventilation.
Then turn on the air conditioning for a few minutes before getting in the vehicle and driving.
Do not drive without air conditioning during a national heat alert.
Try to park in a shaded area at your destination and when you return home. , To shield yourself from the sun, wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing made of cotton or linen.
Cover as much exposed skin as possible with pants and long sleeves.Apply high-spf (30-60) sunblock to any exposed skin areas, including the face and neck, and wear a wide-brimmed hat., Drink two to four glasses, or 2 cups (0.5 L) to 4 cups (0.9 L)) of cool fluids each hour if you’re exercising outdoors or working indoors when outdoor temperatures are higher than 90°C (32.2°C).This will prevent dehydration and allow your body to cool itself naturally by sweating.
Be careful to avoid exercising outdoors in the event of a national heat alert, or generally if outdoor temperatures are higher than 98°F (36.67°C). , In no case is it safe to leave a child in the car, especially during warmer weather.
The inside of a vehicle can overheat to deadly temperatures (110°F /
43.3°C), even when outside temperatures are mildly warm (60°F /
15.6°C).And opening windows slightly doesn’t help, since the vehicle still overheats quickly with a little ventilation.
To help you remember to take your child with you when leaving the vehicle, leave something next the the child that you will need to have with you, such as a cell phone, purse, shopping bag, or hat., Heat exhaustion is a type of heat stress that can lead to heat stroke.
Once you notice signs of heat exhaustion, stop any activity and get yourself or the ailing person to an air conditioned building immediately.
This precaution can prevent the life-threatening condition of heat stroke from coming on.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include vomiting and nausea, excessive sweating, low blood pressure, moist and cool skin, a weak pulse, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, strong thirst, and rapid breathing. , Once you notice the signs of heat exhaustion, and after finding a cool indoor area, you should give yourself or the ailing person cool water to drink, take off or loosen any excess clothing, fan yourself or the ailing person, and spray the skin with cool water.If these symptoms continue, go to an emergency medical center or call local emergency services., In some cases, heat stroke can come on quickly without giving any indication of heat exhaustion.This is a life-threatening condition, so if you detect the signs of heat stroke in yourself or another, call or ask someone else to call an ambulance immediately.
Symptoms of heat stroke include dry, hot, red skin (because the body has stopped sweating); a temperature above 104°F (40°C); weakness, confusion, irritability, or strange behavior; a rapid pulse; dizziness or headache; convulsions; and loss of consciousness., If signs of heat stroke are present, and you are alone, call for an ambulance immediately, and then do your best to get to a cool and shaded area—preferably to an air conditioned building— while waiting for the emergency services.
If you are in a wilderness area, away from facilities, sit in the shade of a tree or underneath a rock outcropping.
If you are with an ailing person, do the same for them.
Ask someone for (or give yourself or the ailing person) sips of cool water as long as you or they are conscious.Remove/loosen all outer layers of clothing and shoes and socks.
Cool off yourself, have someone else cool you off, or cool down the other person by sponging or spraying the skin with cool water.Place ice packs underneath the armpits and on the back of the neck.
About the Author
Sara Moore
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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