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With temperatures so hot especially this early in the season, the very real danger of heat stroke or heat exhaustion goes up.
On KVNU’s For the People program on Tuesday, Emily Jewkes, health educator for the Bear River Health Department(BRHD) said we might dismiss the symptoms thinking that we just didn’t eat enough or maybe overexerted ourselves.
“What we want to look for in heat exhaustion or heat stroke is cold, pale, clammy skin. Typically our skin dries really quickly and we’re really flush, that’s about the first signs that we see. Or even just tiredness, sometimes we just can say we didn’t sleep well, so that tiredness and weakness is coming from that too,” she explained.
Some might think heat stroke mainly occurs in adults or older ones, but Jewkes said children are vulnerable as well.
“Once their internal temperature reaches 104 degrees, their major organs start to shut down. And then once they reach 107, a child can die. It can go up very quickly especially if a child is in a car, 19 degrees can increase in 10 minutes. So it can happen really, really fast.”
If an individual thinks they may be suffering from early symptoms of heat stroke, they should immediately get to a cool place, getting into an air-conditioned building is best.
But, at the very least, try to find a shady spot or sit in front of a fan. She also suggests trying to rest on your back with your legs elevated higher than your heart level.
Of course, drinking cold fluids such as water or a sports drink can greatly help to cool the body down as well.