Beat the Heat

August is when summer really heats up around here. Surprisingly, there are more heat related deaths in the Northern part of the US than in the South. This is most likely because those who live year round in the South adjust to the heat. Those of us who live further north get hit suddenly with extreme heat and don't have time to make the adjustment.

According to the University of Florida it takes about two weeks to acclimatize to a dramatic change in temperature. It is often difficult to define heat related deaths because a number of deaths due to heat may be diagnosed as heart failure or some other cause of death. M. Ian Phillips, professor and chairman of the UF College of Medicine's physiology department, says, "What is noticeable is that deaths of all causes go up during a heat wave, which is why we think that heat directly causes more deaths than those actually attributed to heat."

The elderly, the very young, and people with mental illness and chronic diseases are most at risk during these times of extreme heat. Those who drink alcohol; take part in strenuous outdoor physical activities in hot weather; and take medications that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration, also increase their risk. From 1979 -1999, excessive heat exposure caused 8,015 deaths in the United States. This is more than died from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined during the same period.

The primary heat related illnesses are:
Heat Cramps
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Rash
Heat Stroke
Sunburn

Information on how to recognize the symptoms and what to do in each of these situations can be found at the links above or at many other places, including:
Frequently Asked Questions for Extreme Heat
FEMA Fact Sheet: Extreme Heat
Red Cross Health & Safety Tips -- Heat Related Illness

The government provides this list of Beat the Heat Tips:
Keep cool - Spend as much time as you can in cooler surroundings, such as an air-conditioned shopping mall, senior center, public library or movie.
Use an air-conditioner or fan - Air conditioning can provide life saving relief from heat stress, especially if you have a medical condition like heart disease. Fans can draw cool air into your home at night or help provide good indoor air circulation during the day.
Baths and showers - Cool baths or showers (with water temperature around 75° F) provide amazing relief from the heat 25 times faster than cool air.

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