SOUTH BEND — The
heat wave over much of Indiana has sparked an advisory from the
National Weather Service, reminding residents about health risks of
high heat for the very young and those over 65.
Leah
Schrock, health education coordinator with the Area 2 Agency on
Aging in South Bend, says people should be sure to check on older
friends and relatives, since they often don't realize the heat is
affecting their health, whether as heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or
life-threatening heat stroke.
"In
the heat, like 90 degrees and all, fans don't necessarily work. And
so, one thing that they can do is put cool water on themselves,
because that will definitely help relieve the heat."
The
U.S. Centers for Disease Control lists red, hot skin with no
sweating, dizziness and confusion as signs of heat stroke, a
condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Schrock says heart disease, high blood pressure and some
medications also make older people more vulnerable during a heat
wave. While getting to an air-conditioned place is the obvious best
thing to do to prevent heat emergencies, Schrock says it's common
for elders to lack transportation, or to keep their air
conditioning off because of the cost.
Laura Boyle, senior vice president for client services at CICOA
Aging and In-Home Solutions in Indianapolis, says their
meals-on-wheels drivers are on alert for signs of heat stress.
"They know if the person's alone, or if they have air conditioning,
or what their condition is, and if they notice that they are not
doing well in the heat, then they would let us know."
CICOA offers tips on keeping cool, and finding public
air-conditioned places, on its website, www.
"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #990000; text-decoration: none;" href="http://CICOA.org/">cicoa.org
A
CDC fact sheet on extreme heat is at
"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #990000; text-decoration: none;" href= "http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp">www.bt.cdc.gov
