The weather that we are so famous for in central Virginia, has arrived. Hot, hazy & humid are the three normal H’s, during our summers. With these H’s comes the three important H’s of protecting yourself in and from the heat, hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate! Water is the best hydrating agent, unless you are overcome by the heat, which will then require fluid with electrolytes. Hydration is something that must be done prior to, during, and after an event in the heat. If you are not well hydrated prior to going out into the heat chances are great that you may suffer from one or more of the three H’s of heat-related illness, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat cramps occur when your body has become dehydrated, with drops in electrolytes such as potassium and sodium. Heat cramps can progress to and occur with heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is a negative progression of heat exposure, adding nausea and vomiting to heat cramps, as well as other signs and symptoms. Things are becoming more serious with the need to remove a person from the hot environment. Hydration will be difficult due to the vomiting, which may have to be accomplished by intravenous fluids (IVs). You feel very sick and the recovery period is longer once heat exhaustion has occurred. If uncorrected, heat exhaustion can progress to the life-threatening emergency known as heat stroke. Heat stroke occurs when sweating has stopped, allowing a person’s core temperature to go up. If not corrected immediately by rapid cooling, this person will literally cook, from the inside out. Although 9-1-1 may be called when a person is suffering from heat exhaustion, the true life threat comes when he or she reaches heat stroke. Keep in mind, heat stroke occurs because the body’s ability to cool itself is no longer working.
How do you handle the heat? Diet, exercise, and rest are the best ways to beat the heat. Proper hydration allows your body to lose fluid by sweating as long as you take frequent breaks out of the hot environment. For the very old and the very young, heat will affect them faster than most. Preparing yourself for working or playing in the heat is as important as packing the right things for vacation. Handling the heat is as much about you knowing how it can hurt you as it is about knowing what to do to prevent a heat-related illness and finally detecting the signs and symptoms, once you have become overheated.
While we are on this subject, hot cars hurt humans, especially children. You should never leave your child – or pet, for that matter – in a running or non-running vehicle. For the sake of heat, I will focus on the non-running vehicle. On the hot days, it will take no time for a non-running vehicle to reach temperatures of 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Constant exposure to these temperatures will progress rapidly, from unconsciousness in a child to the death of that child. Pets are susceptible to heat-related death as well. What do you do if you find a child or animal in a non-running vehicle, in a parking lot, or anywhere else? The first question is, can this person or pet survive until police, fire, or rescue arrive? If you are unsure, err on behalf of the person or pet inside the hot car, and deal with the dispute over your decision later. In other words, break a window! If there is time, then call 9-1-1 right away, and stay there until the proper folks arrive. If you are one that has left your child or pet in a non-running vehicle, then you need to stop that immediately. You might say, “I was only going to be in the store for two minutes,” but it is two minutes too long, where your child or pet is concerned. I have told this story many times before, but when I was assigned to Station 1 in Chester, we were dispatched to a child locked in a trunk. It was a hot day. The vehicle was a rental and the husband, who was not home, had the keys. I instructed my crew to force open the trunk. The mother asked us to wait until the father got home with the keys. She added, “He will be home in about 20 minutes.” Needless to say, we disregarded her request, forced the trunk lock, and found a young child who had stripped down to underwear because of being so hot. It may seem unthinkable to forget that your child is in the car, but it happens. Your child falls asleep, and your mind is elsewhere. You get to work, go inside, and hours later, your wife comes to pick up the child, and that is when you remember. Tragic things like this happen more than you know.
We all enjoy this time of the year, but we must do everything possible to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the effects of being overcome by heat. Our culture has become very accustomed to air conditioning, and we do not do well without it. Therefore, make sure that your filters are replaced at least monthly and that your discharge is not clogged. The discharge is the small PVC line that comes from the pan of your air handler, and it should be discharging water when the unit is running. Your unit will not break on the nice days, but it usually happens on the hottest or coldest of days. You call for help and the repair person says that he cannot get there for two, three, or four days, what will you do? Ceiling fans and floor fans become your next best friend. It is important to have a supplemental heat source, and just as important is a backup plan until your AC is fixed. Enjoy your summer!
