Just because you’ve handled the heat so far, don’t get cocky: A series of 95-degree days can still catch up with you.
Local medical centers saw a few cases of heat-related illness Thursday, and more people could be affected today and over the weekend if they don’t drink enough liquids.
It’s an accumulative process, said Dr. Jack Stump, emergency department physician at Southwest Washington Medical Center. People get behind in their fluid intake, and the problem compounds from day to day as the deficit gets bigger.
Southwest Washington Medical Center’s emergency department treated a couple of cases of heat exhaustion Thursday. Those patients reported feeling tired, weak and “wrung out.”
Chris Stamatakos, a physician assistant, said a couple of people showed up at Legacy Clinic Salmon Creek Family Medicine suffering from the heat.
Late Thursday afternoon, a 911 dispatch-supervisor said she was aware of no heat-related calls that afternoon, but shortly after that, at 6:30 p.m., paramedics were dispatched to the Orchards area for a heat-related call. Officials were told a man who works outside came home, was acting strangely and had muscle cramps. He was alert in an ambulance on the way to a hospital, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.
On Wednesday, Fire District 6 was called to help a 53-year-old woman with heat exhaustion about 5:15 p.m., said spokeswoman Dawn Johnson. The woman had been inside the Safeway along Hazel Dell Avenue, browsing the deli counter, when she felt faint and someone called 911. Firefighter-paramedics checked her, and she declined to be taken to a hospital.
On Thursday, no one came to Fire District 6’s cooling center at 11600 N.W. Lake Shore Ave. in Felida, Johnson said. Last summer, however, on a day hotter than 100 degrees, 25 people came to get relief, Johnson said.
The Felida cooling center will be open from noon to 8 p.m. today.
People with heat exhaustion who can get into a cool environment and rehydrate will be fine, Stump said.
But heat stroke is a medical emergency.
“It’s not to be taken lightly,” Stamatakos said. “Heat stroke kills a lot of people.”
Not everybody can recognize — or announce — the warning signs for heat-related maladies, Stamatakos said.
“Signs that kids are in trouble include dry mucus membranes, they’re not wetting their diapers, they’re more lethargic,” Stamatakos said. With elderly people, look for an unstable gait or a racing heart.
Hot topics from Clark County Public Health, the Washington Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
• COOL OFF: Electric fans will not prevent heat-related illness when the temperature reaches the high 90s. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off. But avoid extreme temperature changes. A cool shower immediately after coming in from hot temperatures can result in hypothermia, particularly for elderly or very young people.
• STAY HYDRATED: Drink more fluids (non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
If you exercise, avoid the midday hours and drink two to four glasses of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage may replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat.
• RECOGNIZE the SIGNS: At the first signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps), move to a cooler location, rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness; its symptoms include a body temperature above 103 degrees, according to the CDC; skin is red, hot, and dry since the body loses the ability to sweat.
Heat exhaustion can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures; its warning signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps and vomiting.
• DON’T BURN: Avoid sunburn, which slows the skin’s ability to cool itself. Use a sunscreen lotion with an SPF (sun protection factor) rating of 15 or higher; the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, which also keeps you cooler.
John Branton contributed to this article.
