Health Department Issues Heat Advisory

July 13, 2004

Little Rock -- Health department officials have issued a warning concerning a combination of hot and humid conditions that will prevail in most of southern and central Arkansas Tuesday and Wednesday. The threat of heat stroke and heat exhaustion is higher earlier in the hot weather season than later, according to heath officials. 

The National Weather Service has predicted that afternoon Heat Index Values will be near 105 degrees in the following counties: Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Independence, Jackson, Johnson, Logan, Perry, Pope, Scott, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell.

Heat Index Values will be between 105-110 degrees in Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Montgomery, Ouachita, Pike, Polk, Prairie, Pulaski and Saline. 

High pressure over the area coupled with moist southerly air flow from the Gulf of Mexico will create hot and humid conditions Tuesday through Wednesday. A cold front will move through the area by late Wednesday bringing drier and slightly cooler air to the region.

From 1979 –1999, excessive heat exposure caused 8,015 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for disease Control and prevention in Atlanta. During this period, more people in this country died from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. Heath Department officials and The Centers for Disease Control have recommended precautionary measures during periods of extreme heat and humidity.

At greater risk are the elderly, children, and people with certain medical conditions, such as heart disease. However, even young and healthy individuals can succumb to heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather. Some behaviors also put people at greater risk: drinking alcohol; taking part in strenuous outdoor physical activities in hot weather; and taking medications that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

• Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
  

• Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
  

• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
  

• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
  

• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  

• NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
  

• Although any one at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on:
  

  • Infants and young children 

  • People aged 65 or older 

  • People who have a mental illness

  • Those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure 
    

• Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching. 
  

If you must be out in the heat:

• Make and effort to limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
  

• Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage. Remember the warning in the first “tip” (above), too.
  

• Try to rest often in shady areas.
  

• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels).

For more information contact The Arkansas Department of Health at 501-661-2000 or the Centers for Disease control and Prevention’s Website at www.cdc.gov.

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