Health Alert Declared In Chester County

WEST CHESTER, PA —With temperatures on the rise, Chester County Office of Developmental Programs on Thursday declared a health alert for summer heat safety.

Following several days of high temperatures in the low 90s in Chester County, forecasters are predicting it will Continue to get hotter through the remainder of the week.

Officials said heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable.

Despite this fact, more than 6001 people in the United States are killed by excessive heat every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If a person shows symptoms of heat stroke or is at risk and has heat exhaustion symptoms, call 911.

The county health alert is available here.

When the heat index is expected to be 105 to 110 degrees, the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning.

The heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Extreme heat causes more deaths than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined.
• Heat related injuries are preventable.
• Dehydration contributes to heat injury.
• Some people are more likely to get heat related injuries than others.

Who is at most risk for injury from extreme heat?

• People over 65 and under 5 years of age
• People with certain medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, or high blood pressure.
• People who are on medications for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation People that work or exercise outside.

What not to do in the extreme heat:

• Never leave anyone in a parked vehicle, even with the window open, for any amount of time in hot weather.
• Avoid hot foods and heavy meals. Eat more frequent, smaller meals.
• Don’t drink a lot of fluids with caffeine or sugar in them as they can increase water loss.
• Don’t drink alcohol in hot weather as it also can increase water loss.
• Ask your healthcare provider or doctor about using refrigerated medicines that got warm.
• Eat healthy food and get enough sleep to help you deal with stress.

Contact the Disaster Distress Helpline for free if you need to talk to someone at 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs’ to 66746.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a list of warning signs and symptoms of heat illness and recommended first aid steps.

Heat Cramps: Heat cramps may be the first sign of heat-related illness and may lead to heat exhaustion or stroke. The symptoms are painful muscle cramps and spasms usually in legs and abdomen and heavy sweating.

• What to do: Seek immediate medical attention if cramps last longer than 1 hour.
• First Aid: Apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gently massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water unless the person complains of nausea, then stop giving water.

Heat Exhaustion: Seek immediate medical attention if the person vomits, symptoms worsen, or last longer than 1 hour.

• Symptoms: Heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, cool, pale, clammy skin; fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache, fainting
• First Aid: Move person to a cooler environment, preferably a well airconditioned room. Loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths or have person sit in a cool bath. Offer sips of water.

Heat Stroke: Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately

• Symptoms: Throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, body temperature above 103°F, hot, red, dry or damp skin, rapid and strong pulse, fainting, and loss of consciousness.
• First Aid: Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Delay can be fatal. Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment. Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath. Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make a person hotter. Do not give fluids.