Good Samaritan Hospital’s Extreme Heat Safety Advisory
(West Islip, NY) During periods of extreme temperatures and humidity physicians at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center recommend individuals take precautions in safeguarding their health. These conditions can be dangerous and even life-threatening for those who don’t take the proper precautions. Several factors affect the body’s ability to cool itself during extreme hot weather. When the humidity is high, perspiration will not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly. To protect your health when temperatures are extremely high, remember to keep cool and use common sense.
The following tips are important:
- Reduce strenuous activities and try to limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
- Avoid sunburn by using a sunscreen lotion with a high SPF (sun protection factor) rating.
- Drink plenty of water, non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids.
- Avoid hot foods and heavy meals.Take frequent breaks when working outdoors.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sun block and light-colored, loose-fitting clothes when outdoors.
- Spend more time in air-conditioned places if available. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
Although anyone at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others, such as infants and young children, people 65 years of age and older, those who are ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications.
“Heat-related illnesses can range from heat cramps to heat exhaustion to more serious heat stroke,” said Vice Chairman of Emergency Services at Good Samaritan Hospital Eric Decena, MD. “Heat stroke can result in death and requires immediate medical attention.”
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. It is the body’s response to an excessive loss of the water and salt contained in sweat. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.
At first signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps), move to a cooler location, rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool beverage. Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.
For more information on extreme heat symptoms, please call (631) 376-4444 or visit www.good-samaritan-hospital.org.
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is a 537-bed (including 100 nursing home beds), voluntary, not-for-profit hospital located in West Islip. The medical center, which has more than 3,775 employees and 900 physicians on staff, had nearly 28,000 patient admissions and nearly 100,000 emergency department visits in 2012. Good Samaritan is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island. Visit the website at www.good-samaritan-hospital.org.
The medical center supplies residents with the tools necessary to maintain good health. This includes community lectures, screenings, health fairs and other community programs and services.
