This document provides information and tips for staying safe during hot weather and heat waves. It discusses how the body regulates temperature and the risks of heatstroke. Key points include: - Heat can directly cause heatstroke and exacerbate other medical conditions, leading to hundreds of deaths each year in the US. - The body cools itself through sweating and diverting blood to the skin, but high temperatures make this more difficult. - To prevent heat injuries, stay cool by getting out of the sun and avoiding overexertion. Drink water regularly to replace losses from sweating, breathing, and other processes. - Heatstroke is extremely dangerous and occurs when core body temperature reaches 104 degrees. Symptoms include red,

1. Hot Weather Preparation
and Survival

2. Heat can kill directly via heatstroke.
It can also increase your chances of
succumbing to a heart condition, stroke or
other breathing problems.
Hundreds in the US die each year during
heat waves. It is estimated that number will
only grow higher as temperatures continue,
on average, to increase.
Hot Weather Preparation

3. Your body wants to maintain a steady core
temperature of 98.6 F.
When you begin to heat up, your nervous
system diverts blood away from your
internal organs to your skin to radiate heat
away.
Sweat glands release water, which has a
cooling effect as it evaporates from your
skin.

4. The best preparation to prevent heat
injuries and death is to stay cool.
Get out of the sun.
Don’t over-exert yourself.

5. Keep air-conditioning at a livable level.
However, if there is a power outage or you
don’t have air-conditioning, there are things to
keep in mind:
Lower floors are always cooler as heat rises.
Close shades and lower blinds.
Go somewhere that does have air
conditioning such as a mall, shelter or
theater.

6. Use fans in your house to promote circulation
of air. In the evening and at night, open
windows to let in cooler air, then close them
in the morning along with blinds and shades.
Turn off extra sources of heat such as lights
and appliances.
Don’t use the stove or oven.

7. Eat lighter meals during a heat wave so the
body doesn’t have work as hard digesting,
producing more internal heat.
Keep your skin covered.
If outdoors, wear a hat to protect from
sunlight. Wear lighter colors to reflect
sunlight.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they are
diuretics and dehydrate you.

8. Remember your pets. They also suffer in
a heat wave. Put them in the shower.
Give them a cool, wet towel to lie on.
Make sure they have plenty of water to
drink.

9. Over three-quarters of your body is composed
of fluid. Perspiration is not the only way you
lose water. We actually lose more water just by
breathing. And you can’t stop that loss. We
lose around 2 to 4 cups of water a day by
exhaling (16 cups equal one gallon). We lose
about 2 cups via perspiration. We lose one half
to a full cup just from the soles of our feet. We
lose six cups via urination. You lose a more
than half a gallon of water a day just existing;
more depending on the weather and your
activity level.

12. Dehydration results from inadequate replacement
of lost body fluids. It decreases your efficiency and,
if injured, increases your susceptibility to shock.

13. Symptoms of dehydration are:
Dark urine with a very strong odor. Low urine output.
Dark, sunken eyes.
Fatigue and Emotional instability.
Delayed capillary refill in fingernail beds.
Trench line down center of tongue.
Thirst. Last on the list because you are already 2
percent dehydrated by the time you crave fluids.

15. Treatment:
Replace the water as you lose it. Trying to
make up a deficit is difficult in an
emergency situation, and thirst is not a sign
of how much water you need.
Most people cannot comfortably drink more
than 1 liter of water at a time. Nor do you
want to. So, even when not thirsty, drink
small amounts of water at regular intervals
each hour to prevent dehydration.

16. Drink sufficient water but don’t overdo it. Over-
hydration is a potentially fatal condition. You
drink too much water for your kidneys to
process. It’s not just the amount, but how
quickly you drink the water. Drinking too much
water increases the amount of water in your
blood. This dilutes the electrolytes, especially
sodium. Sodium is critical in balancing the fluid
inside and outside of cells. When there is an
imbalance from over-hydration, sodium moves
inside the cells, causing them to swell. This is
particularly dangerous to your brain cells.

17. Thus one of the first symptoms of over-
hydration is a headache. Nausea and
vomiting are also symptoms. If it gets worse,
more symptoms follow, including high blood
pressure, confusion, double vision,
drowsiness, difficulty breathing, muscle
weakness and cramping. If not caught in
time, seizures will occur, brain damage,
coma and even death

18. If you are under physical and mental stress
or subject to severe conditions, increase
your water intake. Drink enough liquids to
maintain a urine output of at least half a
quart every 24 hours.

19. For dehydration that is short of heat stroke:
Drink two quarts of water, juice or sports
drinks in 2 to 4 hours, not all at once.
Small sips every few minutes work best.
If vomiting, try ice chips, popsicles and
small sips.
If also suffering from diarrhea, stay away
from using sports drinks as the sugar can
make it worse.

20. The breakdown of the body’s heat regulatory
system causes a heat stroke. It occurs when
your core body temperature goes to 104
degrees. Other heat injuries, such as
cramps or dehydration, do not always
precede a heatstroke. Heat stroke is
extremely dangerous. As with all other
dangerous conditions, call 911, evacuate or
get profession help if possible.

21. Hot Weather Preparation and Survival

22. Heat Stroke Symptoms:
Swollen, beet-red face. Reddened whites of
eyes. Victim not sweating. Red, hot and dry
skin. Unconsciousness or delirium, which
can cause pallor, a bluish color to lips and
nail beds (cyanosis), and cool skin.

23. Heat Stroke Treatment:
Fan air over the victim while wetting skin
with water. Apply ice packs to the armpits,
groin, neck, and back. These areas have
more blood vessels on average, so cooling
them can reduce the body temperature.
Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of
cool water. Or a stream or lake. Be sure to
wet the victim’s head.

24. Hot Weather Preparation and Survival

25. Expect, during cooling: Vomiting.
Diarrhea. Struggling. Shivering. Shouting.
Prolonged unconsciousness. Rebound
heatstroke within 48 hours. Cardiac arrest;
be ready to perform CPR.
Bottom line: Get to an ER or doctor ASAP!
Hot Weather Preparation and Survival

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