FRANKLIN, Ind. – With summer here and the forecast calling for high temperatures and poor air quality, the Johnson Memorial Health (JMH) emergency department reminds you to take precautions when going outside and listen to advisories from the National Weather Service.
The elderly and people with chronic health conditions should stay inside unless they absolutely have to go out.
Sometimes when people are having fun outside in the summer, they don’t realize they’re becoming overheated. If the condition reaches the level of heatstroke, it is serious, and immediate medical attention is needed. Heat exhaustion often precedes heatstroke.
The signs of heat exhaustion include cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat, heavy sweating, faintness, dizziness, fatigue, rapid pulse, headache, and nausea. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition.
Heatstroke occurs when the body reaches a temperature of 104 degrees or higher, and symptoms can include confusion, altered speech, nausea or vomiting, rapid breathing, and a racing heartbeat, among other symptoms.
The good news is that you can prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke. JMH and the Mayo Clinic Care Network provide steps you should take to prevent heatstroke during hot weather, here.
