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Medical officials warn of dangers of extreme heat

By Angie Santello 5 min read

A heat advisory issued Monday prompted medical officials to warn people to take precaution when outside in the extreme heat and sun. “Heat exhaustion could occur at any time, but the risk increases during high temperatures,” said Dr. Jeffrey Frye, medical director of the Uniontown Hospital’s emergency department.

Frye said anyone performing an activity that increases one’s demand for energy is at risk to suffer complications from the extreme heat.

“It’s not best to mow the lawn or to let the kids run around when it’s 95 degrees outside,” said Frye. “The heat can cause it to happen.”

Frye recommended performing outside jobs or activities in the morning or late evening, before and after 2 to 6 p.m., the hottest part of the day during the summer.

If experiencing symptoms from overexertion such as nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting or an increased heart rate, immediately seek a cool place and drink cool fluids, Frye said.

“(Those symptoms) are your body telling you to stop,” said Frye.

According to the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), serious signs of heat stress include rapid heartbeat, throbbing headache, dry skin, chest pain, mental confusion, irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramps, staggering, difficulty breathing and unconsciousness.

People experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention by calling 911.

While waiting for help, move the person to a cool area if possible, remove excess clothing and fan the person, the Fayette County EMA recommends.

While a visit to the local emergency room may be in order if symptoms are serious, oftentimes lighter symptoms can be treated by moving to a cool room for a while and, most importantly, hydrating or drinking fluids to help avoid dehydration caused when the body loses fluids in the heat, said Frye.

Fine choices are water and drinks with electrolytes such as Gatorade, he said.

Alcohol or drinks rich in caffeine are not recommended in hot weather, he added.

“You loose more than you gain with those,” Frye said.

To cool down, air-conditioned rooms or rooms with fans are best. Fans cool, Frye said, because they evaporate the sweat from the body, allowing your body temperature to go up.

A sign of improper hydration, Frye said, is discolored urine or urinating less frequently.

“If you find you haven’t urinated since yesterday morning or your urine is a dark yellow or brown, you’re probably dry,” said Frye. “It may seem like you’re retaining fluids, yes, but your body is using it for other things.”

During recent hot temperatures, the staff at the Uniontown Hospital emergency room have treated people with heat-related symptoms, most who have other medical ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma or lung disease, which are complicated by extreme heat.

Members of a local congregation came into the emergency room for treatment of heat-related symptoms that resulted from standing in the stifling heat of an un-air conditioned church during a Sunday morning service, Frye said.

During the church services, when many are huddled inside the church, the heat may easily become too much to take, said Frye.

“If any of us are standing in a hot room long enough, we’re going to start feeling faint,” Frye said.

Frye said if you are experiencing heat-related symptoms to skip out on the remainder of the service and find some place cool to sit and drink cool fluids.

“It’s just not wise to go around crowds of people when it’s extremely hot,” he said. “An exception can be made to miss on a 90-degree day.”

Another option, he said, is to attend an early instead of late-morning service.

Special precautions should be taken with children who are active in hot weather as well.

“When they are outside and running around, you’re not going to keep their temperature down with Tylenol,” Frye said.

Parents may want to allow their children to be most active in the morning and take a break from the heat in the late afternoon in an air-conditioned living room or other cool place.

“Have them sit down, watch a movie and eat a Popsicle in the middle of the day,” suggested Frye.

When paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) transported 11 injured Girl Scouts by ambulance into the hospital’s emergency room from a crash on Route 40 Monday afternoon, emergency room staffers, including Registered Nurse Heather Nickle, re-hydrated emergency personnel after they worked in the heat, quickly responding to aid those injured.

“It takes a toll on you,” Nickle said. “We (at the hospital) do our best to make sure they are hydrated because it’s important when they are out on calls to be at their best.”

Lawn Kare Landscaping Supervisor Terry Haines was feeling the burn Tuesday afternoon as he laid block for a replacement sidewalk dug up across the street from the Uniontown Hospital.

Wearing his no-sleeve green Lawn Kare shirt and tan shorts, Haines was working during the hottest part of day.

He and his team of several men have become accustomed to the hot weather.

“We’re used to it now,” said Haines, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Since most of the Uniontown company’s work is done outside, crews struggle to find a way to beat the heat.

“Today is worse than yesterday,” said Lawn Kare employee Israel Lawrence as he handed Haines blocks to set within the sidewalk’s concrete borders.

The crews drink plenty of water to quench their thirst and make it through the hot days.

Construction workers such as Haines can expect a break from the 90-degree heat in the coming days.

According to Russell DeMaris, meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Pittsburgh, temperatures are expected to dip into the 60s for a low and the high 70s for a high.

“It’ll be a lot cooler and a lot less humid,” said DeMaris. “It’ll feel a lot nicer as compared to that damp and muggy feeling.”

Yesterday, the area missed topping a 96-degree record high recorded in 1934 by only a few degrees. The NWS recorded a high of 91 degrees on Tuesday.

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