MOUNTAIN AREA — Temperatures are climbing once again this summer season. How will you stay cool?
The Mariposa County Health Department recommends avoiding strenuous activity during the heat of the day, staying in a cool environment like an air conditioned home or business, relaxing in the shade while drinking plenty of water, or visiting the community pool facility. Outdoor activities are safest in the cooler morning and evening hours.
If you can not avoid the daytime heat, remember to stay hydrated – do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water and be sure to drink enough water that your urine is a pale yellow color. Dark urine is a sign of dehydration. Dehydration increases your chance of heat illness or death during hot weather. Minimize strenuous activity, wear sunscreen and recognize the signs your body sends to slow down and take a break.
While in a hot environment, if you begin to sweat excessively and feel generalized weakness and/or muscle cramping – it is time to rest in the shade and begin to drink more water. This is the beginning of heat exhaustion and could continue to get worse if you do not rest. If you start to experience heat exhaustion and do not rest, heat stroke, a life threatening emergency, can begin and may happen quickly.
Heat stroke symptoms include skin that is very hot to the touch and flushed (internal temperatures soar above 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Signs also include dry or sweaty skin, confusion and unconsciousness, rapid heartbeat, and rapid respirations. This is a life threatening condition.
If you witness someone suffering from heat stroke or if you feel you are experiencing heat exhaustion and cannot cool off, call 9-1-1 immediately. Move the injured person to a shady area; remove any extra clothing like jackets and second layers. Try to cool the person by continuous drenching with hose water or submerging the person’s legs and trunk in a tub with cold water and ice until emergency medical help arrives. If someone is confused or unconscious, do not try to give them water or food.
Please check on your neighbors and family members – especially the very young, the elderly, and/or people with medical concerns because they are all more susceptible to heat illness and heat related death. Death from heat is preventable.
If you or someone you know needs relief from the heat, please do not wait to ask. Ask before their health is affected by the heat.
